Samsung's no-good summer of poor quality control continues as more reports have come out about brand-new devices with flaws or already starting to get worn out.
The latest issue appears to be the new Galaxy Watch Ultra, as reported by Reddit users bimmerb0ii (and spotted by Gizmochina). Unlike the previous flaw where an Ultra purchaser found themselves with a poorly constructed hour markings bezel, the new report concerns wear and tear after only days of use.
The Redditor found that the paint on his pre-ordered Galaxy Watch Ultra was already peeling after only a few days of use. He claims he's been babying the watch and hasn't even used it at the gym or for sports.
The issue seems to be related to the titanium gray colorway, as a couple of other Redditors said that their titanium gray watches were also seeing the issue. Allegedly, the silver and white versions shouldn't have this problem because they only have paint on the bezel and a bit on the sides.
In the comments, Bimmerb0ii posted an update where they did reach out to Samsung support and outlined the experience of trying to potentially get the new watch replaced or refunded. It sounds like quite the runaround.
He was sent to a uBreakiFix location, one of the only Samsung-certified repair places in the US, where they didn't have parts or replacements. Here are the steps the agent and Redditor worked out as posted on Reddit:
- "Return the defective watch ultra for a refund. (Take note i got this at a discount since i preordered this together with the Fold 6). A prepaid shipping label was emailed to me. The refund will take around two weeks to be credited back to my account.
- Purchase a new watch ultra with the link the agent sent me. At this point, I already paid for another order of the watch ultra at full price. Not the preorder price since the promo is finished.
- Wait for Samsung to issue my refund from the defective watch ultra.
- Once refunded, I need to call in again to get another refund (they will price match my original preorder price)."
As of this writing, it's unclear where the Redditor left off with the watch or if he's taking any of the abovementioned steps.
Unlike the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which Samsung canceled preorders for due to quality issues, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has had sporadic hits like this paint issue and the bezel problem from last week. It's not clear how widespread Ultra manufacturing issues are or if these are lemons that are making it off the line and making noise when disappointed buyers post about it.
Meanwhile, if you're considering a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, maybe go with the white or silver colorways or get one of the other models featured on our best smartwatch list.
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