Samsung has officially entered the smart ring market with the launch of its Galaxy Ring, revealed at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, France. Smart rings represent a relatively new segment in the world of connected devices, offering a more subtle alternative to traditional smartwatches and fitness bands for tracking health and fitness metrics.
The Oura Ring, from the company Oura, is currently one of the most recognized products in this niche, providing insights on various metrics such as sleep quality, heart rate variability, skin temperature, and automatic workout detection. Despite the small size of the market compared to smartphones, Samsung aims to shake things up as one of the largest tech giants venturing into this space.
Priced at $399, the Galaxy Ring incorporates generative AI capabilities powered by Samsung’s Galaxy AI platform and is available in nine different sizes. Potential buyers can visit Samsung stores to determine their best fit or order sizing kits online. According to a hands-on report, the ring offers a comfortable fit and a fashionable design, available in three colors: black, silver, and gold.
The battery life varies by size, with the smaller rings lasting up to five days and the larger ones up to seven. The ring’s unassuming appearance belies the advanced technology housed within it, including sensors for tracking a wide array of health and fitness metrics.
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring monitors sleep by tracking heart and respiratory rates and detecting movement and changes in skin temperature, which is particularly useful for cycle tracking. It also provides heart-rate alerts, auto-detection for walking and running workouts, and reminders for when you’ve been inactive for extended periods.
The collected data feeds into Samsung’s Galaxy AI platform, which synthesizes these metrics into an “Energy Score” ranging from 0 to 100. This score reflects overall health and fitness, factoring in sleep quality and physical activity. Alongside the Energy Score, Samsung offers AI-powered Wellness Tips designed to help users improve their scores, such as suggesting earlier bedtimes for better sleep.
Furthermore, the Galaxy Ring includes a charger with a circular LED battery indicator, emphasizing ease of use.
Samsung’s approach is not entirely unique in the industry. Oura has a similar feature called the Readiness score, while Fitbit offers a Daily Readiness Score to guide users on exercise readiness versus rest. The longevity and expansion of the smart ring market remain uncertain, particularly with giants like Apple reportedly considering their own entries into the field. For now, Samsung appears poised to dominate this developing market, leveraging its robust technological infrastructure and brand recognition.
This strategic move by Samsung could redefine the health tracking and wearable technology landscape, fostering a new era of discreet yet powerful fitness monitoring tools.
