Queen Beyonce once said: If you like it, then you should put a ring on it. Fortunately, in this day and age, this iconic line may not have to refer to marriage anymore.
Picture this: a ring that does more than just look good on your finger. Samsung has officially delved into the world of smart rings.
Because everything has to be smart nowadays, right?
Their newest Galaxy Ring was revealed at their Galaxy Unpacked event on 10 July 2024.
With its relatively simple design, you might think at first glance, “Is this just a fancy ring?” I guess not, it looks to be much more.
What’s in this New Galaxy Ring?
Smart rings are not a new concept by any means, with the Oura Ring, Ultrahuman Ring Air, Ringconn Smart Ring and more already in the market, but that doesn’t mean Samsung does not get a fair fight for its share of pie.
The Galaxy Ring can track everything from your sleep and heart rate to blood oxygen levels and even your skin temperature. And guess what? It does all this while looking as small and sleek as a piece of jewellery.
It is available in black, silver, and gold. The ring comes in eight sizes (ring sizes 5 through 12) and weighs just around three grams. That’s around the weight of a 10-cent coin!
If you’re unsure of your own ring size, you can even order a ring sizing kit to your home before committing to the purchase.
The Galaxy Ring is equipped with three key sensors: an accelerometer, PPG (photoplethysmography), and a skin temperature sensor. These little gizmos are the magic behind the ring’s health-tracking capabilities.
Let’s break it down. The accelerometer helps track your movement, which is crucial for assessing your sleep and detecting workouts.
The PPG sensor monitors your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, and the skin temperature sensor is perfect for keeping tabs on, well, your skin temperature.
For the ladies, this also means that the ring can help track menstrual cycles by monitoring overnight skin temperature changes with the Cycle Tracking feature.
If you’ve been struggling with sleep, the Galaxy Ring might be your new best friend.
This ring doesn’t just track how long you sleep but even delves into the nitty-gritty details like sleep latency (aka how long it takes you to fall asleep), movement during sleep, and even your heart and respiratory rates.
All this data gets crunched by AI in the Samsung Health app to give you personalised insights and tips on how to sleep better.
(Not sure how that will work out for me; unless it outright tells me to stop drinking bubble tea before bed and binge-watching Queen of Tears at 3AM.)
Besides sleep and heart rate monitoring, the Galaxy Ring also offers automatic workout detection. Whether you’re hitting the gym or just taking a brisk walk, the ring knows and tracks it. It even provides heart rate alerts, so if things get too intense, you’ll be the first to know.
Another fun feature is the ring’s ability to control your Galaxy smartphone, that is, if you already own one.
Through a simple double pinch gesture, you can take photos, dismiss alarms, and more. Misplaced your ring? No worries – the Find My Ring feature on Samsung Find has got you covered.
“Uh, my smartwatch does basically the same thing…” Aha, but one of the biggest gripes with smartwatches is having to charge them frequently.
Samsung claims the Galaxy Ring can last up to seven days on a single charge, depending on the size of the ring and your usage.
Charging is straightforward with the included transparent case that doubles as a charger. Just pop the ring into the case, and it juices up for another week of action.
Also, it would undoubtedly be easier to coordinate your outfits around a simple ring instead of a watch, no?
The Price Tag
Here’s where things get a bit more interesting. The Galaxy Ring is priced at US$399, which is about S$539.
It’s a tad pricier than its main competitor, the Oura Ring, which costs US$299. However, unlike its competitor, the Galaxy Ring doesn’t require any monthly subscriptions to access its features, making it potentially cheaper in the long run, especially if you’re already in the Samsung ecosystem.
Speaking of ecosystems, Samsung is doing something clever here. The Galaxy Ring isn’t meant to replace your smartwatch but to complement it.
When used together with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and smartphones, you get a more detailed and comprehensive view of your health.
For example, if you’ve got the ring, watch, and phone all synced up, you’ll get an even more accurate picture of your sleep patterns because the data is coming from multiple sources.
Plus, the ring can even extend the battery life of your smartwatch when used together, which is kinda neat.
Samsung entering the smart ring market is a pretty big deal. With relatively few competitors, they’re setting the stage for what could be a game-changing product.
Though experts believe that the Galaxy Ring is a rather “niche” product that is unlikely to be a huge seller by volume for Samsung, it could potentially drive more sales of their other products, like smartphones and smartwatches.
By making the ring a part of their health and fitness offerings, Samsung is aiming to lock users into their brand.
In a world where everyone is increasingly prioritising fitness and health, the Galaxy Ring stands out as a stylish yet functional option. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a sleep-deprived parent, or just someone who loves the latest gadgets, this ring has something to offer.
Alongside the Galaxy Ring, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 6 – the latest model of Samsung’s foldable smartphones which starts at US$1,899, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 – a similar model to the Fold but opens like a traditional flip phone, starting at US$1,099, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 – the latest iteration of Samsung’s smartwatches that comes with a new processing chip starting at US$299, Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra – a beefed up version of their standard smartwatch that is aimed at more active users, starting at US$649, and the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 and Buds3 Pro – starting at US$179 and US$249 respectively, it is apparently able to translate a foreign language that it hears into a user’s chosen language.
The Galaxy Ring is set to be available in the US from 24 July, but is currently available for pre-order on Samsung’s US official website.
I don’t think the concept of smart rings that are pervasive in Singapore as of now, but who knows, maybe couples will be using this to propose in the future.