A Galaxy on your finger
The Galaxy Ring is a great starting point for Samsung, and the smart ring is available in a variety of sizes and colors. It is light and comfortable to use, and you barely even notice it. The battery life is better than the Ring Air, and you don't need a subscription to access all the features. That said, fitness and sleep monitoring are nowhere as good as the most basic smartwatches, the Ring is missing a boatload of features that are standard on its rivals, and the worst part is that gestures and select insights are limited to Galaxy phones.
For
- Light and comfortable
- Good battery life
- Samsung Health has good insights into your activity
- No subscription
Against
- Gestures limited to Samsung phones
- Not compatible with iOS
- Mediocre sleep monitoring
- No AFib detection
- Costlier than Ring Air
Everything you need
I used the Ring Air throughout 2024, and it has been terrific. The smart ring is so unobtrusive that I don't notice it most of the time, and it has titanium bands. The app has a ton of useful metrics, and it does automatic workout detection and a whole slate of cool extras. That said, fitness monitoring has been inconsistent in my usage, but that has gotten better with subsequent updates. I didn't think I would like the Ring Air as much as I do, and if you're mulling a smart ring, it gets my recommendation.
For
- Extremely comfortable to wear
- Good sizing and design options, including titanium bands
- No subscription
- Useful metrics
- Automatic workout detection
Against
- Inconsistent fitness monitoring
- Battery doesn't last as long
