Samsung tipped us off that it’s working on a new wearable, the Samsung Galaxy Ring, at Unpacked back in January. In the weeks that followed, we picked up on some enticing rumors, and, eventually, some official info straight from the horse’s mouth. Here’s everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring, plus what we hope to see when it eventually hits shelves.
Samsung Galaxy Ring: What we know so far
Samsung has opened up on its upcoming micro wearable
The Samsung Galaxy Ring debuted in a one-more-thing-style teaser after Galaxy Unpacked in January, where Samsung gave next to no info about the device other than that it will exist. But info started flowing a little more freely after that: Samsung showed the ring off at MWC a few months ago, where Nirave Gondhia actually got to wear the thing.
The Galaxy Ring is confirmed to come in nine sizes — five through 13 — and three finishes: black, silver, and gold. It’s also notably light for a smart ring: the heaviest Galaxy Ring will weigh tip the scales at 2.9 grams. That’s less than half the weight of the heaviest Oura Ring configuration, which weighs six grams.
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The $300 Oura Ring currently leads the space
The Galaxy Ring will debut a new health system called My Vitality Score. At first glance, it sounds like it’ll work a lot like other readiness-style health wearable features, providing personalized insights based on a number of tracked health metrics. Samsung also says the Watch 6 and Galaxy S24 will be getting My Vitality Score eventually.
Samsung promises “long” battery life but doesn’t elaborate further. On iOS compatibility, Samsung’s Hon Pak told CNET he hopes that Samsung “devices are of such caliber that people will be willing to switch,” which certainly makes it sound like the Galaxy Ring will be Android-exclusive. Finally, Samsung says we can expect the Galaxy Ring on store shelves before the end of 2024, but has not shared pricing info.
In March, a Samsung representative told Korean-language outlet Chosun Biz that the Galaxy Ring will integrate with Samsung Food, a meal-planning app Samsung acquired in 2023 (at the time called Whisk) to create meal plans that are somehow informed by data measured by the Galaxy Ring. It’s not yet clear exactly how this integration will work.
We’ve heard rumors, too
Before Samsung’s Unpacked announcement, the only unofficial info we heard about the Galaxy Ring was that Samsung would partner with Japanese electronics manufacturer Meiko to source components for the wearable. That’s still unconfirmed, but Samsung worked with Meiko on the Galaxy S23 series.
Shortly after the official tease at Unpacked, analyst Avi Greengart claimed to have had hands-on time with prototypes of the Galaxy Ring. Greengart described the ring as “ridiculously light” and said Samsung plans to launch it in three finishes, with sizes up to 13, all details that have since been confirmed by Samsung. He also claimed that the ring will be released sometime in 2024 and that pricing hasn’t been finalized — all of which, again, still checks out.
As reported by SamMobile, a now-deleted LinkedIn post from a Samsung exec said that a “new health & wellness wearable product” is coming in the latter half of this year, which jibes with what Samsung has since officially said at MWC. A 2H 2024 release window might coincide with Samsung’s next generation of foldables, which we expect will launch this summer.
A March report said that Samsung intended to begin producing its ring in earnest starting in May 2024, and that the company intends to have 400,000 units produced ahead of the device’s official launch. If that’s true, it seems Samsung’s betting big on the Galaxy Ring.
According to a late-May leak from Yogesh Brar, the Galaxy Ring will be pricey, but not out of line with what we’ve come to expect from high-end smart rings. Brar says that in the US, the Galaxy Ring will retail for between $300 and $350, a price that would pit it squarely against the current leader in the space, the third-gen Oura Ring, which starts at $300. Oura requires a subscription, however; we’ll have to wait and see if the Galaxy Ring does the same.
Samsung Galaxy Ring: What we want to see
There are still a lot of question marks around the Samsung Galaxy Ring, but we have plenty of hopes for the upcoming wearable. Here’s what we’d like to see.
No subscription fees
The most prominent player in the smart ring space, Oura, charges a subscription fee to access most features its third-gen Oura Ring offers. Other rings, like the Ultrahuman Ring Air, don’t require monthly dues. The cost of the ring’s continued functionality is built into the initial purchase price.
Samsung doesn’t offer a paid tier of its Samsung Health platform, which the Galaxy Ring will tie into. We’re hoping that doesn’t change with the release of the company’s first smart ring. These things generally cost hundreds of dollars, so paying more money after the fact is an unappealing proposition for many shoppers.
Full compatibility with non-Samsung phones
Samsung’s existing wearables, like the Galaxy Watch 6, work with Android phones from all manufacturers. Certain niche functions, such as EKG measurements, require the Samsung Health Monitor app. The app is only officially available on Samsung’s phones. It seems unlikely a smart ring would offer features that could be restricted to Samsung’s hardware ecosystem. Still, the Galaxy Ring will be a better product if it works with phones from Google or OnePlus as well as Samsung’s phones.
Samsung has implied that the Galaxy Ring will be Android-exclusive, but hasn’t shed any light on feature compatibility among different Android manufacturers.
Durable finishes
The two smart rings we’ve spent the most time with, the third-gen Oura Ring and the Ultrahuman Ring Air, showed significant wear relatively quickly. The mirror-finish gold coating on the Oura Ring eventually gave way to the gray titanium underneath in spots, and the Ring Air’s matte black finish picked up some gnarly scuffs within days of putting it on. Given smart rings are investments most people will want to hold onto for years, durability is important.
A convenient charger
Many smart rings come with charging pucks that have USB-C input for power, a design that is incredibly convenient. The RingConn Smart Ring takes it a step further with a clamshell charging case similar to the ones many true wireless earbuds have. We’re crossing our fingers that Samsung’s Galaxy Ring doesn’t have a smartwatch-style charger permanently attached to a USB cable. Instead, we hope it offers something with USB-C input for more flexibility (taking inspiration from RingConn and offering an optional charging case wouldn’t be bad).
Contactless payment support
This one’s a bit of a long shot. Given Samsung will be the first smart ring manufacturer with an established payment platform in Samsung Pay, it would be fantastic if the Galaxy Ring could make contactless payments the way Samsung’s smartwatches can.
Security would present an interesting challenge. To activate contactless payments on a Wear OS watch, you must set a screen lock on the wearable, which isn’t possible on a screenless ring. Activating a smartwatch’s mobile wallet also requires interacting with the device in certain ways, which isn’t possible with a smart ring.
It’s possible security could be adequately addressed with settings in the Samsung Wearable mobile app and some strongly worded warnings about not putting your hand near payment terminals you don’t intend to interact with or other means we’re not considering.
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Samsung Galaxy Ring: Coming this year
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Ring is meant to launch sometime in 2024, but that’s all we officially know about its availability. One rumor places its release date in the second half of the year. That could mean the Galaxy Ring will launch this summer, timing that could see the wearable hitting store shelves alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6.
If you’re curious about smart rings and unconvinced the Galaxy Ring will bring anything new to the table, check out our top smart ring recommendations from the likes of Oura, RingConn, Ultrahuman, and more.
