About a month with the Galaxy Watch Ultra was enough for one user to see its action button fall off, and Samsung seems resistant to help despite being under warranty.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra defect
Samsung revealed a new rugged smartwatch that borrowed more than a name from Apple Watch Ultra on June 10. Design aspects, including the orange accents and band, bear more than a passing resemblance to Apple's product, though Samsung has long used the "ultra" moniker.
One unlucky customer received his Galaxy Watch Ultra on July 20 only to have the action button pop off in mid-August, according to a Reddit post. The user hoped Samsung would send them a new replacement rather than repair the defective unit. However, Samsung refused.
When the user sent in the device for repair under warranty, Samsung sent them a bill for $107. It seems Samsung is trying to claim the user may have broken the device in a way that voided the warranty.
While it is impossible to know if the user somehow broke the rugged smartwatch or if it is actually a defect, it seems the right answer would be for Samsung to just replace the device. Apple tends to provide a replacement device when a defect is discovered, if only to find out what caused the defect in the first place.
Perhaps Samsung should take the time to learn what might have caused its rugged watch to fall apart so easily instead of worrying about $107. Amplifying the story outside of Reddit, like how we discovered the story on Brandon Butch's X account, might help Samsung make a better decision for its customers.