The Samsung Galaxy Ring is just as important as Apple’s VR headset

This year, Samsung’s set to launch a smart ring. All the company has revealed so far, however, are a couple of images and a smattering of details. The Korean manufacturer announced the product at a fringe event during the Samsung Galaxy S24 keynote.

Selected journalists from major US media outlets were allowed a glimpse at several prototypes. At first glance, the ring looks like an ordinary piece of jewellery. CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco reported it to be slightly larger than «typical women’s jewellery». While Eadicicco wasn’t permitted to photograph the Galaxy Ring, she did get the chance to try it on.

What we already know about the Galaxy Ring

The ring apparently feels slightly large, but surprisingly light at the same time. It’s available in silver, dark grey and gold, and the sensors aren’t visible from the outside. Just like a smartwatch, the ring’s designed to record health data. It’s aimed at people who’d rather not wear a watch – smart or otherwise.

The data will be collected and analysed in the Samsung Health app. A fitness score will be calculated by taking various elements into account, It’ll also give specific alerts and tips, e.g. letting you know that you slept badly, tossing and turning a lot during the night.

Of course, you can do all this with smart watches or fitness trackers too. You don’t necessarily need a ring. Despite this, one million people bought smart rings last year. Remarkable, considering that until now, they’ve primarily been available from start-ups such as Oura. Coming in at 300-350 francs or euros, they’re fairly affordable. However, they also require you to fork out an additional six francs/euros per month for data analysis in the app.

Paving the way for a Pixel or Apple Ring

Now that Samsung’s releasing a smart ring, the target market for these gadgets will automatically grow. Not only that, but the product will be pushed into the mainstream. Until now, smart ring development has mostly taken place under the radar.

Fitness, health and sport are important issues, especially to younger age groups. And a part of this includes people’s desire to digitally track their health data. Personally, I’m more focused on other kinds of self-improvement (e.g. happiness), but I still see immense potential.

The advantage of a ring is that you can wear it day and night no problem. While the top-selling smartwatches last a maximum of two days, the latest smart rings need charging once a week.

Rings also have an edge when it comes to sleep tracking, as more people are likely to want to wear one at night than a watch. Experts also estimate that the data rings obtain is more precise than that of many watches. For instance, health-tracking devices need to be worn in the right place and be tight enough for the sensors to accurately measure your heart rate or blood oxygen level. What’s more, it’s crucial they’re always worn under the same conditions so that the software can obtain comparable data.

The ridicule directed at the Galaxy Ring is unjustified. It might well open new doors for the wearables sector in the coming years. And I’m sure it’ll lay the foundation for a Pixel Ring or even an Apple Ring. Smart rings priced at 200-300 francs or euros a piece have a better chance at becoming a mass-market product than, say, Apple’s expensive Vision Pro headset, which costs ten times as much.