The Samsung Galaxy Ring could be revolutionary – or not
Like most nerds, I was glued to the screen when Samsung revealed its latest wearable, the long-rumoured Samsung Galaxy Ring. Despite confirming the upcoming launch of the newest addition to the ever-expanding Samsung product portfolio, we know next to nothing about the Galaxy Ring, leaving the door wide open to speculations.
2024 will be the year of the best smart rings. As well as the Galaxy Ring, rumour has it that we might also see the Oura Ring Gen 4 later this year. There is also the highly-anticipated Apple Smart Ring, which may or may not materialise this year, and the Amazfit Helio Ring, which is definitely coming to the US in April and the rest of the world later.
Plus, we have a few smart rings already on the market, including the most popular Oura Ring Gen 3 – currently on test; review coming soon – and others, such as the excellent Ultrahuman Ring Air and the RingConn Smart Rings. One can say that smart rings went from zero to hero in a span of 12 months!
Like everybody else, I was super excited when Samsung confirmed the arrival of the Galaxy Ring. It's not like it was a surprise announcement; after all, it makes perfect sense for the company to roll out a smart ring (pun intended), considering its expertise in the field of smartwatches.
Samsung has been training its algorithm on health data collected from Galaxy Watch users for years. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, albeit not the most exciting updated over its predecessor, is indeed one of the best smartwatches for health tracking. The sensors are spot-on, and the app is excellent, too.
Samsung can use this data and the same algorithms to provide accurate health advice and track and analyse sleep and exercise. Which, to be fair, wouldn't be too exciting. If the Galaxy Ring is a smaller version of the Galaxy Watch, offering more or less the same features but without the screen, it would be really hard for Samsung to drum up interest around the new wearable.
However, Samsung has a trick up in its sleeve. Among the many things announced during the Galaxy Unpacked, some (everyone?) might have noticed an emphasis on artificial intelligence and how Samsung, like many other tech companies, are trying to utilise machine learning to offer people a more personalised health and wellness experience.
Now, AI could just be a fancy new term used for algorithms; those have been used for absolute ages by wearable companies like Garmin and Fitbit. Algorithms help make sense of health data by comparing your stats to people similar to you (age, sex, activity levels, etc.). They work particularly well when the pool of available data is enormous – the same as AI.
If Samsung means 'algorithm' when it says 'AI', Oura has nothing to fear. However, if Samsung's AI is similar to Whoop's Coach feature, which is like a personal assistant, the Galaxy Ring might be something to consider if you're looking for a new smart ring. If you could 'talk' to the ring in the app, ask questions, and gather insights on your health and fitness, that would be interesting.
Many people say Samsung entering the smart ring market is excellent news, as prices will inevitably start coming down. A more competitive market can indeed force companies to apply a more aggressive pricing strategy. Big companies are certainly in a position to sell products at cost or offer wearables as add-ons with other purchases.
This approach might not be as viable in 2024 as it was in the past. Many tech companies have been struggling with sales in major markets in recent years, which, to me, suggests that products like the Galaxy Ring aren't just nice to have anymore – their success and the profit companies can make are essential.
All that said, I very much look forward to trying the Samsung Galaxy Ring as and when it launches. If I were Samsung, I wouldn't for too long, though, as the smart ring market is moving fast. You snooze, you lose, and Samsung can't afford not to be successful with its Galaxy Ring.