First Impressions: Samsung Galaxy Ring

The Samsung Galaxy Ring certainly looks the part, now it’s all about whether it can match though Oura-rivalling look with similarly great software to make it the complete smart ring package.

Introduction

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is the first smart ring from one of the major tech heavyweights. Until now, it’s been left to startups like Oura to prove that you can shrink the technology found inside the best fitness trackers and smartwatches and put it inside a ring for more discreet health and fitness monitoring.

Samsung is taking similar sensors and features already seen in other smart rings and it won’t be charging you for an extra subscription to unlock its true tracking potential. The decisions made about the £399/$399 Galaxy Ring suggest Samsung has paid close attention to the competition.

While I’ve not been able to try put its actual tracking smarts to the test just yet, I have been able to try on the Galaxy Ring to get a better idea of what it can do, and get a better sense if Samsung has an exciting wearable on its hands that you’ll want to place on your finger.

Design and Fit

• Three colour options are available
• A sizing kit is provided before purchasing
• The charging case tops up the battery

The Galaxy Ring is going to be available in black, gold or silver colours and all models are made from scratch-resistant titanium.

That’s the same titanium material that other smart rings like the Oura Ring 3 have opted for, which gives you something that feels high-grade but is also light to wear. We compare the Samsung Ring and Oura Ring 3 separately if you’re interested in how the two stack up.

My concern here is just how resistant to scratches it’s going to be. Having used most smart rings, keeping them scratch-free is a problem so if Samsung has achieved this then this is a big win.

Measurements-wise, you’re getting something that’s 7mm wide, 2.6mm thick and weighs anywhere from 2.3-3 grams depending on sizing. That’s around the same thickness as Oura’s ring and just slightly lighter. The Circular Ring Slim measures in at 2.2mm thick, so it’s not the slimmest smart ring you can put on your finger.

To ensure you do get a good fit, you have the option of a sizing kit which offers 9 sizes that range from 5-13 on the US sizing scale. It costs £10 to receive the kit and you’ll get that money back once you’ve selected your preferred ring size according to Samsung. I had my Oura Ring Gen 3 on my finger to compare sizing and a size 8 in the Oura seemed to match up with the same option for the Galaxy Ring. 

Samsung has given its ring IP68 and 10 ATM (up to 100 metres depth) water-resistant ratings, so that should mean you can wear it for swims and activities like snorkelling, and gives it pretty strong protection against moisture in general. 

When it comes to charging, Samsung seems to have taken inspiration from the charging setup used by the RingConn Smart Ring, opting for a portable charging case as opposed to a charging cradle or dock. The Ring sits inside of a transparent case topped up via a USB-C port placed on the back.

Features 

• No iOS compatibility
• Discreet fitness and health tracking
• Up to seven-days of battery life

This is a smart ring that will only work with Android smartphones and using it with a Samsung smartphone will add some extra functionality here. You’re paying just for the device, which costs £399/$399, making it more expensive than buying most other smart rings. Unlike Oura, accessing the accompanying software is free once you’ve got your ring however.

The sensors in play are similar to the ones featured in other rings. There’s optical heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, a body temperature sensor and motion sensors to deliver activity tracking with inactivity alerts supported. There is also sleep tracking, which is arguably one of the most appealing traits of owning a smart ring. Unlike most other smart rings, Samsung told us that no calibration period is required, so once you get it out of the box and start tracking, it should give you reliable data from the off.

While I didn’t get an opportunity to see the all-important companion smartphone app, I did learn more about some of the software features that aim to bring context and deliver actionable insights based on that sensor data. There are Energy scores, which are drawn from information like resting heart rate and physical activity, and are displayed in the app to give you a sense of how you should spend your day. This sounds very similar to Oura’s easy-to-absorb Readiness scores.

Samsung is also talking up the Ring’s AI-powered capabilities, with wellness tips provided based on your activity data to offer guidance. I’ve seen other rings promise something similar and can’t say I’ve been massively impressed with the approach to bringing smart rings and AI together, so will be intrigued to see if Samsung has fared better in doing so.

For sleep tracking, Samsung will mirror the same metrics you’ll get from its Galaxy Watches, including accessing a sleep coaching platform. There is sports tracking here too, with automatic tracking recognition offered for walking and running. 

On the wellness monitoring front, it’ll push alerts to the app when it detects high and low heart rate readings and let you take real-time heart rate measurements, which is similar to the support available on the Circular and RingConn smart rings.

If you’re using it with a Samsung phone, you have the added ability to use a series of gestures to activate features on your phone. So, a double pinch using your ring-wearing finger and thumb will let you remotely snap a photo. Samsung suggests wearing the Ring on your index finger, but you’re able to wear it freely on other fingers if it offers a better fit.

In terms of battery life, Samsung suggests its Ring will have the best battery available on a smart ring and promises up to seven days and takes 80 minutes to charge from 0-100%. A Samsung spokesperson also told us that the size of the battery in the ring varies by size, so the bigger sizes will include bigger batteries to push you closer to that maximum longevity claim. 

The best battery life I’ve experienced on a smart ring was on the RingConn, which can last up to five days, so I’d be impressed if Samsung can top that. If you’re planning to spend on a Galaxy Watch and a Galaxy Ring, using both will apparently improve battery performance of the Ring by 30% as it will take heart rate measurements on a less frequent basis.