Samsung is making official the release of its Galaxy Ring smart ring on July 10 at its Unpacked conference, which is taking place – a rare occurrence – in Paris. It was unveiled in February at the Mobile World Congress, but the Korean manufacturer had been discreet regarding its capabilities.
We now know everything! Resolutely designed for well-being, it integrates three separate sensors: optical, temperature and accelerometer. They allow it to provide detailed monitoring of sleep, whether it is the time taken to fall asleep, movements during the night or variations in heart and respiratory rates. This is undoubtedly its most obvious use case, because wearing a ring while sleeping is much less intrusive than a watch.
7 days of autonomy
But the Galaxy Ring is not limited to that: it also provides a continuous heart rate measurement, and detects certain sports activities, including walking and running. For the ladies, the temperature sensor also allows for more precise monitoring of the menstrual cycle. Despite its small size, the Galaxy Ring has a battery life of up to 7 days. It recharges using a transparent plastic case. And no need to take it off in the shower: it is IP68 and 10 ATM certified.
And to be clear, you don’t need to have the Galaxy Watch to use it. It works as a standalone device (well, you still have to pair it with an Android smartphone), although the combination of the two is beneficial. Samsung explains that their sensors are complementary and that wearing a Galaxy Watch saves 30% of battery on average on the Ring.
A titanium alloy with three colors
What regarding the aesthetic aspect? The Galaxy Ring is made of a titanium alloy that makes it both resistant and very light. It measures 2.6 mm thick and 7 mm wide, and is available in three colors: black (matte), silver (matte), gold (shiny). A Samsung representative cleverly described the product as being “a jewel of technology”. In fact, the manufacturer has managed to make it very discreet, and it will not clash on a man’s hand. But lovers (and especially lovers) of real jewelry will not be fooled.
A final note on the nine sizes available: from 5 to 13 in American sizes (or from 44 to 69.7 in European sizes). The Galaxy Ring can be worn on any finger, but Samsung recommends the index finger. During our brief hands-on, even size 13 was too small for our index finger. Size 11, on the other hand, fit the ring finger without any problem. Conversely, for small hands, a size 5 can be too big, as was the case for one of our colleagues.
Connected rings, a $750 million market?
Samsung has high hopes for the Galaxy Ring, citing a market size of $126 million in 2024 that might grow sixfold to $747 million in 2030, according to a study by Contrive Datum Insights. 75% of French people would be interested in the concept according to a study conducted by Samsung in March 2024.
The question now is whether they’ll pay the price. The Galaxy Ring will be available on July 24 for $449. That’s a bit more expensive than the Oura Ring, its only real competitor, but it’s ultimately a better deal because there’s no monthly subscription to pay. Samsung should benefit from this limited competition, as Apple hasn’t yet entered the market, although the Galaxy Ring won’t work with an iPhone.
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