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Samsung's $399 Galaxy Ring requires no subscription - Oura, take note
Samsung released its first-ever smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, at its Galaxy Unpacked July 2024 event on Wednesday. As competition in the smart ring space heats up, the tech giant's product launch is taking the once-novel wearable form factor into the mainstream.
We're getting some exciting features in Samsung's smart ring, like an AI algorithm for sleep, cycle tracking, energy scores for activity and movement, heart health tracking, a double-pinch feature for taking photos and answering calls, and even a smart ring locating feature if the ring gets lost.
Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked Summer 2024
The Galaxy Ring retails for $399, and -- unlike smart ring leader Oura -- Samsung's ring won't require a subscription. That's right: Customers will pay $399 once and then reap all the benefits of the smart ring and its new technology without the financial baggage of an additional monthly fee.
It's a welcome development for customers already forking over $200 or more for a smart ring, but will the subscription-free model last?
For comparison, Samsung's smart ring competitor Oura offers two smart rings, the Heritage starting at $300 and the Horizon at $350, alongside a $6-per-month or $72-per-year subscription. You can pay for only the ring without the subscription, but then you won't get to access the majority of your data.
When the Oura Ring debuted, it was subscription-free, with only the one-time hardware cost. The subscription model now helps fund research and development for software upgrades and features that keep the brand competitive, an Oura spokesperson explained to ZDNET.
The correlation between subscription fees and improvements in user experience is certainly clear in the case of Oura, which has released many new features just in the past few months, including heart health features and tools women can use for their menstrual cycle and potential pregnancy. On Tuesday, it debuted a new AI health advisor that will offer personalized recommendations, conversations, and insights based on your activity and sleep data.
This sort of subscription bundle is becoming the norm among wearables. Google and Apple each charge $10 per month for their respective fitness platforms, Fitbit Premium and Fitness Plus. The Whoop, another wearable health band, won't even sell you its device as a standalone product. Getting the band and software access requires a $240 annual subscription. The Amazfit Helio Ring provides access to most of your data, but not all -- unless you pay extra.
Also: Samsung's Galaxy Ring is finally here. Here's how to buy it
Thankfully, there are also smart ring brands, like Ultrahuman, RingConn, and Evie, that are subscription- or membership-free and growing in popularity. In fact, the Ultrahuman Ring Air, a smart ring that, in my opinion, nearly beats Oura, was the top product ZDNET readers purchased in June. Obviously, there's interest in the brand category, and a subscription-free setup sweetens the deal.
While subscriptions are annoying -- and possibly a deterrent -- for customers, they do encourage people to continue using their devices well after they've purchased them, not just throw them in their jewelry box and forget about them after a few months. ZDNET editor-in-chief Jason Hiner, in a recent article on smart ring subscriptions, points out that Samsung not charging a subscription would make it difficult for Apple, Google, and other tech leaders to charge one when they enter the smart ring market.
Still, just because the Galaxy Ring doesn't have a subscription now doesn't mean it never will.