We saw it at CES and MWC this year, but we had to wait until now for the official launch of Samsung's new Galaxy Ring, a wearable device said to shake up the newly-formed smart ring market entirely.
True to Samsung's reputation, the Galaxy Ring is a powerhouse of health and fitness features, boasting longer battery life than the best smart ring currently, the Oura Ring Gen 3. What's more, it comes with a charging case that can fully recharge the battery in just an hour, setting it apart from the competition.
Available in three colours (Titanium Black, Gold, and Silver) and nine sizes (US 5-13), the Galaxy Ring fits seamlessly into Samsung’s ecosystem. Similar to its smartwatches, although the ring works with any smartphone running Android 11 or later, to get the most out of its functionality, you best pair it with a Galaxy Watch and a Galaxy smartphone.
And it’s not just a marketing slogan, either. Samsung says wearing the Galaxy Ring with a Galaxy Watch simultaneously will increase the ring's battery life by as much as 30%, as well as improve data accuracy.
As for physical specs, a medium-sized Galaxy Ring is approximately 7mm wide and 2.6mm thick. Weight depends on the size, but the range is between 2.3-3g, in line with most smart rings available today.
The Galaxy Ring is IP68-rated, so it is safe to wear it in the shower or when doing the washing up. Galaxy Watches are historically pretty reliable when it comes to tracking heart rate underwater and can be worn in the pool, but Samsung has yet to confirm if the Galaxy Ring can withstand the corrosive effects of pool water.
Sleep and activity tracking are just two of the health and fitness features the Galaxy Ring offers. Samsung also revamped its Vitality Score, which is now called Energy Score. It’s similar to the Readiness score of the Oura Ring Gen 3 and the Body Battery score Garmin watches provide.
The new wearable also tracks menstrual cycles and sends inactivity alerts should you stay sedentary for too long.
An interesting new feature is the Double Pinch, which works similarly to Apple’s Double Tap. However, in Samsung’s case, it works with the ring only, which goes to show the precision of on-board sensors.
Double Pinch currently has limited functionality (e.g. taking a photo on your phone, kind of like a remote controller), but there is plenty of potential in the technology for future applications.
The Galaxy Ring works with Samsung’s Find service, making it easier to locate the ring.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring will go on sale on 24 July 2024 for a recommended price of £399. There are no subscription fees, just a one-off upfront payment. For more information, visit Samsung today.
