I saw the Samsung Galaxy Ring. Here’s what I love (and what I’m worried about)
After announcing the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in January, Samsung ended its big Unpacked event with one big surprise: the Galaxy Ring. Samsung teased a render of its upcoming smart ring, but beyond that, it hasn’t said anything since. That is, until now.
Samsung had the Galaxy Ring on display at MWC 2024, and I got a chance to see it for myself. Based on what I saw from the ring, plus a few new things Samsung has confirmed about it, I think Samsung is getting a lot right. There are also clear areas where Samsung is lagging behind the competition.
This is the Samsung Galaxy Ring
If you’ve seen a smart ring before, there aren’t any surprises with Samsung’s design for the Galaxy Ring. It was shown off in three colors: black, silver, and gold — all of which have a glossy, reflective finish. Samsung confirmed to The Verge that the Galaxy Ring will be available in ring sizes 5 through 13, which is a little bit more accommodating than the 6-13 sizes available for the Oura Ring.
Looking at the inside of the Galaxy Ring, there’s a smattering of various health sensors. Samsung hasn’t confirmed what sensor technology is inside, but there appears to be a heart rate sensor, contact pins for a charger, and three small plastic nubs presumably housing additional health sensors.
The Galaxy Ring appears to have a completely fine design, though there are some missing elements that immediately jumped out at me.
For starters, the three colors aren’t enough. Black, silver, and gold are a good starting point, but I really hope Samsung explores additional colors before or soon after the Galaxy Ring’s release. Furthermore, I’d love to see different finishes offered for it. Glossy metal is fine, but it’d be fantastic to see matte options, too.
I also noticed that the Galaxy Ring doesn’t appear to have any indicator on the outside of the ring showing you how to wear it. On the Oura Ring Heritage model, the flat top of the ring should always be at the top of your finger. For the Horizon model, a small indent on the underside helps you feel and see if you’re wearing it correctly. These are small design elements, but they help ensure you’re always wearing your ring properly and getting the most accurate health data possible. To omit that on the Galaxy Ring is an odd choice I’m not particularly fond of.
Promising battery life and new health features
Although the Galaxy Ring’s design leaves a bit to be desired, other elements of the smart ring sound rather impressive. Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Ring will increase its battery capacity with larger sizes and that it will have “long” battery life. Furthermore, Samsung is apparently still working on optimizing the battery life to be as good as can be.
Although we don’t have exact numbers to work with, it’s encouraging to hear that Samsung is making battery life a big focus of the Galaxy Ring. The Oura Ring already offers excellent battery life — typically lasting four or more days per charge — so the possibility of something similar or greater is excellent news.
We also have more details about a new Samsung Health feature coming to the Galaxy Ring. It’s called “My Vitality Score,” and it will give Galaxy Ring users a quick snapshot of their overall health — based on sleep, activity, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV). It sounds similar to the Oura Ring’s Readiness score, and as someone who loves Oura’s approach to health tracking, this is music to my ears. Additionally, you’ll be able to adjust your health goals in the Samsung Health app to receive recommendations/tips on how to better achieve those goals.
What else do we know? The Galaxy Ring’s sleep-tracking insights will be based on your movement, heart rate, and respiratory indicators throughout the night. Cycle tracking through Samsung’s partnership with Natural Cycles will also make its way to the Galaxy Ring.
The Galaxy Ring is coming soon
The Galaxy Ring is set to launch at some point in 2024. Samsung hasn’t said specifically when in 2024, but a fair guess would be later this summer — presumably alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6G and Z Flip 6.
While I have my concerns about some of Samsung’s design choices with the Galaxy Ring, I am excited to learn more — and to actually go hands-on with it. The smart ring market has more choices than ever, though most of the options come from smaller, less established brands. Samsung entering the smart ring world is a big deal, and even with the Galaxy Ring’s limited colors, I’m very much looking forward to it.
