What’s with the new extra button on the Galaxy Watch Ultra?

Samsung's first Ultra smartwatch brings several new things to the table, and one of them is an extra button. Samsung smartwatches usually have two physical buttons, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra adds a third one. What's the deal?

The third button sits between the usual two Back and Home keys. Samsung calls it a Quick Button, and as of this writing, it has a few functions.

The primary purpose of the Quick Button is to let Galaxy Watch Ultra users initiate and control workouts without having to look at the screen or use touch controls. The Galaxy Watch Ultra was designed for an active lifestyle and a wide range of temperatures and environments, so a physical button for initiating workouts can come in handy.

Secondly, users can reassign the Quick Button and map it to other functions, such as launching an app. As of now, options for custom mapping are limited, but it is possible that Samsung will expand on this feature later.

A third option for emergencies

The third and final function linked to the new Quick Button on the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the Emergency Siren. This is a new safety feature available exclusively for the Ultra smartwatch.

Samsung says the Emergency Siren emits up to 86-decibel sound. It can be heard up to 180 meters away. And Galaxy Watch Ultra users can activate it by long-pressing the Quick Button for a few seconds.

For some users, this new physical button might make up for the fact that the Ultra smartwatch doesn't have a rotating physical bezel. In any case, other great Galaxy Watch Ultra features include a tough construction with Titanium elements, the 3,000 nits display, the improved BioActive sensor, and the new Exynos W1000 3nm chip.

You can now pre-order the Galaxy Watch Ultra, and in some markets, you get a $79 wrist strap for free. Depending on your region, you might also be able to take advantage of trade-in discounts of up to $350.