What you need to know
- A development review for Samsung's rumored smart ring will reportedly be submitted to mobile chief TM Roh in August, and if approved, mass production could start soon after.
- However, the Galaxy Ring might not be available until at least 2024 if mass production begins in August.
- If the wearable device includes fitness and health tracking features, it could take up to 12 months to be released due to regulatory approval.
Samsung is about to decide when it will start mass-producing its rumored Oura Ring competitor, according to a new report.
The South Korean tech giant recently started advanced development of what is being dubbed the Galaxy Ring in partnership with a Japanese manufacturer, which is supposedly responsible for the circuit boards. A new report from The Elec claims that Samsung will finalize the date for mass production in August (via SamMobile).
Given that the development phase is nearing completion, it may make sense for the company to begin mass production next month. According to the report, Samsung will send a development review for the Galaxy Ring to its mobile chief, TM Roh, in August. If he approves, mass production could begin soon after.
However, even if that happens, we might not see the smart ring until at least 2024. That's because it could take up to 12 months to release the wearable device if it's going to have features for fitness and health tracking due to the time needed for medical device certification.
Based on industry estimates, the product development phase will be completed in up to eight months, while certification for the smart ring's health features is likely to take up to 12 months.
"To apply for medical device certification, the product must be developed to a level that can receive radio wave certification," says an industry official, as quoted by The Elec (machine translated). "Even if development is completed around July, it will take an additional ten to 12 months to obtain medical device approval."
Consequently, Samsung may at least give consumers a preview of the wearable device early next year and eventually release it in 2025, assuming the Galaxy Ring has all the health and fitness features found on the leading Android smartwatches like the recently launched Galaxy Watch 6 series.
Given Samsung's growing emphasis on the health capabilities of wearable devices, it is likely that the company will opt for advanced features that may necessitate additional time for regulatory approval.
