Samsung won’t let me replace my Apple Watch Ultra with a Galaxy Watch Ultra

I’ve been an Android user for almost five years now after growing up with the Apple ecosystem. Up until now, there was always something stopping me from going all-in on Android, and more specifically, Samsung; the appearance and utility of One UI was lacking, Wear OS had an awful stretch, and there wasn’t anything special in Samsung’s offerings that appealed to me.

Now, that’s all changed. One UI is decent now (but still bloated), Galaxy Watches are much improved, and the Galaxy Ring is Samsung’s standout offering. The company is the only Android phone-maker with its own smart ring, and it works well with the Galaxy Watch. That’s why I’m ready to replace my Apple Watch Ultra with a Galaxy Watch Ultra, but stock issues are preventing me from doing so.

I’m ready to give Samsung’s ecosystem a try

The Galaxy Watch 6 impressed me last year, and the Galaxy Ring pushed me to go all-in

Why is now the time for me to leave my Apple Watch Ultra behind? There was a time when the Apple Watch, and by extension watchOS, was definitively better than the best Android smartwatches. However, I think the notion that the Apple Watch is inherently better than Wear OS watches is outdated.

I tried Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic last year, and was blown away. Wear OS was pretty good when I used it on the Pixel Watch, but the Galaxy Watch’s advanced hardware made the most of it.

And though the Nike Run Club app on watchOS is still my favorite run-tracker, I actually like the Samsung Health suite of health and activity tracking tools better than Apple Fitness. Since I could use the Galaxy Ring to compliment my Galaxy Watch tracking, and fill in the gaps when I’m not wearing a smartwatch, I was sold on the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

There is a Nike Run Club app for Android and Wear OS, but it doesn’t always have the same features, updates, or stability as the App Store version.

I’ve said before that, with everything Samsung offers — from wearables to laptops to refrigerators — it’s the most complete product ecosystem on the planet. Now, I’m ready to put my money where my mouth is, if only Samsung would let me.

Stock issues are plaguing new Galaxy wearables

I’m not alone in my availability struggles, either

I’ve had a rocky experience trying to get my hands on new Galaxy devices as an average consumer. I placed preorders for the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch Ultra at Best Buy and Amazon, respectively. Neither retailer gave me a delivery window, which was the first red flag. All I got was a standard message that essentially said they’d let me know when it ships. Not all that helpful, I’d say.

My original Galaxy Ring order didn’t arrive until Monday, Aug. 5 — a surprisingly-long wait for a device I preordered. The Amazon order for the Galaxy Watch Ultra was canceled, because I’m leaving for a vacation and wanted to see if I could get a confirmed delivery window elsewhere. After expecting availability to open up after the watch’s official release date, I came to learn that things were somehow getting worse.

The problems seem to be stabilizing, but a titanium white Galaxy Watch Ultra order placed directly with Samsung over the weekend came with estimated delivery dates between Aug. 21 and Sept. 5, depending on the configuration. Many retailers are still selling Galaxy Watch Ultra models without providing delivery dates, or worse, not taking orders at all. And this experience has been matched by plenty of Galaxy Watch Ultra buyers.

One Reddit user, u/wuis, reported that their Galaxy Watch Ultra preorder had its delivery date slip by over a month without warning. Others recounted the same experience in the replies, and it seems like the titanium white colorway is affected the worst by the availability issues. That’s the one I want, because I think it looks the best, and others seemingly feel the same way.

Another Reddit user, u/Nenuco_89, also noticed the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s stock issues. I’ve checked just about every major retailer multiple times over the last few weeks looking for a white titanium one, and this user’s experience tracks with mine. If you’re lucky enough to see a Galaxy Watch Ultra available for purchase, it’ll either come with a far-out delivery date, none at all, or you won’t get to place your order before it sells out.

There are pricing and availability oddities surrounding the rest of the products announced at Galaxy Unpacked, too. The Galaxy Ring is notoriously hard to get, the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro were delayed by a month as Samsung addressed quality control problems, and on top of the Galaxy Watch Ultra, certain Galaxy Watch 7 colors and sizes aren’t readily available in most retail stores.

I’m forced to stick with an Apple Watch Ultra for now

I couldn’t get a Galaxy Watch in time for my summer vacation

So, even though I’m a rare Apple ecosystem user ready to come to the other side, Samsung won’t let me. I couldn’t get a Galaxy Watch Ultra in time for my summer vacation, which means I’m using the Galaxy Ring in tandem with my Apple Watch Ultra.

If the setup works well enough, maybe I’ll skip buying a new Galaxy Watch altogether. In that case, Samsung would’ve lost an Apple convert by simply not being able to stock its devices weeks after their official launch.