After connected watches, Samsung is preparing to add a new type of wearable to its product catalog: a connected ring, logically called the Galaxy Ring. This device aims to be a health tracking device More discreet than a smartwatch. Aimed at users who don’t need all the features of a connected watch, want more complete and precise health tracking (for example, in the case of chronic illness), or are looking for something more comfortable to wear, especially at night.
For the South Korean manufacturer, it also means unlocking a new market; smartwatches, which Apple dominates, are reaching saturation. The Galaxy Ring aims to convince those who haven’t fallen in love with a watch before to finally jump in. Few major players in the industry currently have established themselves in this niche, and Samsung is looking to establish its brand there.
When will the Galaxy Ring be released?
Samsung hasn’t officially communicated about the launch of the Galaxy Ring. However, everything indicates that the connected ring will be revealed in detail at the Galaxy Unpacked conference in Paris on July 10, 2024. We will also see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 foldable smartphones, as well as the connected watches in the Galaxy Watch 7 series, since the actual launch of the product won’t be long in coming, as we estimate it will be released on July 19, 2024, in France.
How much does the Galaxy Ring cost?
However, we won’t know for sure the price of the Galaxy Ring until Samsung’s announcement. However, a seemingly reliable leaker has revealed that Opportunities indicates the price 449 euroIf that’s the case, potential interested consumers might be put off by such a high entry fee. Samsung could be planning some tempting pre-order or introductory offers to soften that base price.
There are much cheaper connected rings on the market, such as the Ice Ring from Ice-Watch, which sells for less than 200 euros. The Galaxy Ring is of course not in the same category and is intended to be a high-end product. It will compete with the premium connected rings from the Oura Ring brand, which is a benchmark in this segment in particular. The latter offers a model starting at 329 euros and one starting at 399 euros, but the most advanced features are locked behind a monthly subscription of 5.99 euros.
We do not yet know the economic model adopted by Samsung. With a single price of 449 euros without a subscription to similar services, the Galaxy Ring will be able to compete with the third generation Oura Ring rings.
What Galaxy Ring sizes are available?
Managing the size issue for a ring is more complicated than for a watch band. To cover a wide range of body types, Samsung will offer: Nine sizes for the Galaxy Ring, from 5 to 13This choice could make mass production of the device difficult and could partly explain the high price of the connected ring.
What are the colors of the Galaxy Ring?
Samsung has already announced that the Galaxy Ring is available in three colors: black, gold and silver.
Which smartphones are compatible with the Galaxy Ring?
The Galaxy Ring won’t be available on iOS at launch, and it’s unclear if iPhone owners will be able to use it in the future. The connected ring must be configured as follows: Galaxy Wearables appis currently available for the Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Fit, and Galaxy Buds. This app is not currently available on the App Store. However, any Android smartphone with Bluetooth connectivity should be compatible.
Which design for Galaxy Ring?
For a ring that must be worn by people with very different profiles, it is difficult to come up with a design that will stand out from the crowd. Then it is better to focus on sobriety. During the MWC 2024 in Barcelona, we were able to see the Galaxy Ring with our own eyes. The sensors are placed inside, of course in contact with the finger. The outer surface is glossy, hopefully fingerprints will not stick to the surface. The device is thicker than a classic ring, where all the sensors and the battery must be placed.
From what we’ve seen, the Galaxy Ring consistently looks perfectly circular, like a classic joke. Some connected ring models rely on a tray-shaped design that doesn’t offer a perfect curve. That’s what Samsung’s goal with its connected ring is to create “A more connected, more integrated and more transparent digital wellbeing platform”Its weight and volume do not bother the user.
What is the battery life of the Galaxy Ring?
Samsung promises an autonomy of between five and nine days for its connected ring. As with all devices, durability depends above all on how you use it. The sensors used and the Bluetooth version used necessarily change the autonomy. The size of the battery also varies according to the size of the ring. The larger the latter, the larger the battery and the greater the autonomy.
Here are the exact battery capacity of the Galaxy Ring depending on its size:
- Size 5,6 and 7: 17 mAh battery
- Size 8, 9, 10 and 11: 18.5 mAh battery
- Size 12 and 13: 22.5 mAh battery
In any case, the Galaxy Ring’s battery life is much longer than the Galaxy Watch.
How to charge Galaxy Ring?
The connected ring is charged via a case, like the wireless headphones. The case has a square shape with rounded corners. An element of the charging equipment ensures that the ring stays in place even during transport for efficient recharging. The case can be charged via the USB-C port and perhaps a wireless charging station. We don’t yet know the battery capacity of the case, but it’s very likely that it will allow the Galaxy Ring to be charged multiple times.
What are the health monitoring features of the Galaxy Ring?
Accurate health tracking is the number 1 argument for the Galaxy Ring. Since there is no screen, it is essential to use the Samsung Health app on your smartphone to check your health results. The connected ring offers: sleep tracking It is advanced by measuring heart rate, movement and respiratory indicators. It also detects snoring and even sleep apnea, but this requires the user’s smartphone to be nearby and charged.
The device can: measure skin temperatureThis makes it possible to detect fever, as well as calculate menstrual cycles and fertile periods in women. Then we find sensors to monitor heart rate (cardiofrequency monitor) and heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels (pulse oximetry), electrical activity of the heart (electrocardiogram) and even blood pressure. In addition to the raw data provided by these sensors, many of these elements are useful for determining the user’s stress level or calculating the number of calories burned.
For fitness activities, the ring remains less complete than a watch. There is an accelerometer to count steps, but you shouldn’t expect such advanced recognition of sports workouts on the Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Ring can help you eat better. Samsung Health will be able to offer meal recommendations that are tailored to your body, habits and physical activity based on the user’s caloric activity and BMI. Integration with Samsung Food and the manufacturer’s AI refrigerators is also not to be overlooked.
With the launch of the Galaxy Ring, Samsung is bringing two new functions to its Health app. The first is a vitality score. You are assigned a well-being score calculated based on all the measurements captured by the ring: physical condition, sleep quality, stress, heart rate, etc. A similar option is already offered on Oura. An interactive cognitive alertness test will also be integrated to ensure that the vitality score best reflects your true state.
The second is a card that shows advice on how to work on improving your physical and mental health, and therefore your vitality score and daily fitness level. Did the system detect that you had a bad sleep the night before? You get tips on how to sleep better.
What are the associated functions of the Galaxy Ring?
If the Galaxy Ring has nothing to envy with the Galaxy Watch in terms of health tracking, the same is not true for connected functions. The smartwatch lets you summon a voice assistant, control music playback, view notifications, manage calls, view and reply to messages, use certain apps, make contactless payments, and even trigger the smartphone camera.
The Galaxy Ring’s offering in this area will be much weaker, requiring no display, NFC chip or microphone. The ring connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth, and the user can configure the device and personalise their experience from the Galaxy Wearables app. It’s possible that the touch controls could allow you to adjust the headphone volume (Galaxy Buds only), answer or reject a call or interact with other Samsung devices, but this hasn’t been confirmed at this stage.
If you misplace the ring, the user can turn on an LED light from the app to find it more easily. And if you can’t find it, Security Mode custom blocks it to prevent pairing with another smartphone.
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