Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Samsung just launched a bunch of new devices at its big Unpacked event in Paris and one of them was its Galaxy Ring.
The brand’s first generation of smart rings is finally here, after being unveiled in January and then again at MWC. It will compete with brands like Oura, RingConn, and Circular and will undoubtedly give the category mainstream visibility.
Tech Advisor attended a briefing a week before Unpacked at Samsung’s flagship store in London’s King’s Cross, where we got to test out all the devices. Here’s what I learned about the Galaxy Ring.
Note that while I’ve seen the smart ring in different sizes and colors, Samsung didn’t have one paired with a smartphone to see the software.
The charging case is awesome
I hate charging devices when you get an annoying proprietary number with a USB cable that is normally way too short to be useful.
This happens all too often for wearables, including the Oura Ring Gen 3, but Samsung took a different route with a charging case.
It’s not exclusive to the Galaxy Ring since the RingConn Smart Ring also has one, but I think Samsung’s execution is better – even if the clear design has something oddly dental to it in my opinion.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The ring sits securely in the case, and an LED ring around it indicates charging progress. Like the wireless earbuds, the case has its own battery so you can charge the Galaxy Ring anywhere—four to six times, depending on the size of your device.
When the case runs out of power, you can charge it via USB-C and it also supports wireless charging.
Light but not luxurious
I’m somewhat torn on this because while the Galaxy Ring’s design is attractive, it doesn’t feel as premium as I was hoping.
Of course, it’s great that the device comes in three colors – Titanium Silver, Titanium Black, and Titanium Gold – and that it’s made from grade 5 titanium. Samsung also claims that the “unique concave surface” makes it scratch-resistant.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
However, in real life it doesn’t really feel like it’s made of metal and for me it’s due to its weight. Depending on the size you choose, the Galaxy Ring weighs only 2.3 to 3g.
On the one hand, this is a good thing since this is a device you’re supposed to wear 24/7, but a little more weight would make it feel more premium and opulent. And I don’t think it would make a difference in terms of finger fatigue.
Features rivals can only dream of
Compared to current competing smart rings, Samsung has one thing going for it: its ecosystem.
When you use the Galaxy Ring with other Samsung devices, you get a variety of benefits you won’t find anywhere else.
For example, use it with a Galaxy Watch 7 and you’ll not only get more accurate overall tracking thanks to the software receiving two sets of data to collate, but the Galaxy Ring will last up to 30% longer because it has to take fewer heart rate measurements.
With a claimed battery life of up to seven days – the same as the rival Oura Ring Gen 3 – that’s a big difference.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Pair it with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and you can use pinch gestures (between your finger and your ring-wearing thumb) to do things like take a photo and turn off alarms. It also works with Find My Samsung if you lose it.
I haven’t been able to test these features, but I have no reason to believe they won’t work as advertised.
Are you going to buy one?
The Galaxy Ring is available to pre-order now for £399/$399 and while that’s more than some rivals, there’s no subscription fee.
My first impressions are mostly positive, and the Galaxy Ring looks particularly impressive for a first-gen device. I’m expecting a review sample soon to see if it lives up to Samsung’s claims, so stay tuned.
Find out how the Galaxy Ring compares to the Oura Ring Gen 3.
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