I tried Motorola’s first Wear OS watch since 2019, and I already have a big concern

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A while back, we asked Motorola to bring Wear OS back . After years of watching the company drift further away from the operating system while Google, Samsung, and others pushed Wear OS forward, it seemed like the obvious thing to do. Well, Motorola finally listened.

I got some hands-on time with the company’s new Moto Watch Ultra at IFA 2026 , its first Wear OS smartwatch since the Moto 360 launched in 2019. And while Motorola hasn’t reinvented the wheel with its comeback, the Moto Watch Ultra feels like a convincing attempt to get back in the game, albeit with a few curious choices.

Instead of trying to make a thin or even an average-sized smartwatch, Motorola has gone for a big, rugged-looking design that immediately invites comparison with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 . However, with its rotating crown and button as controls, the watch also looks almost identical to the Moto Watch that the company launched in January this year. Only this time, Motorola is finally making everyone happy by returning to Wear OS while keeping fitness tracking powered by Polar.

At 46.26mm wide and 12.1mm thick, the Moto Watch Ultra is certainly not a small smartwatch. Its stainless-steel body gives it that chunky, outdoorsy appearance that has become increasingly popular in the smartwatch market. That puts it firmly in the same visual territory as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, which measures 47.4mm across. That said, there’s a notable difference when you actually put the watches on your wrist. Motorola’s watch weighs just 51 grams, compared with 61.5 grams for Samsung’s Ultra 2, and that difference is noticeable.

The Moto Watch Ultra looks like it should have some serious heft, but it feels relatively light on the wrist. That makes the oversized design a bit easier to live with, particularly if you’re planning to wear it throughout the day. That said, the watch did look a bit odd on my slender wrist.

Motorola is also doing something I wish more smartwatch makers would copy. It’s putting two straps in the box with the smartwatch. The Moto Watch Ultra comes with two bands, one silicone and one leather, along with its magnetic charging dock. So instead of making you buy another strap separately, the watch gives you two options to begin with. That’s a really nice touch for a device that costs $350. The watch also uses standard 22mm bands, too, so you’re not locked into Motorola’s own accessories.

Coming to the display, the Moto Watch Ultra sports a 1.5-inch pOLED panel with a 466 x 466 resolution, a variable 1-60Hz refresh rate, and a claimed peak brightness of 2,700 nits. There’s also an always-on display and Gorilla Glass 3 protection.