Samsung is no stranger to the world of wearables. But this year, it’s expanding to a new product category for the first time in years: smart rings. The smartphone giant teased its new Galaxy Ring at an event in January and showcased it at Mobile World Congress in February, signaling a major expansion of its efforts in health tracking.
But Samsung hasn’t revealed much about what to expect from the Galaxy Ring. The company showed the device in a vague video clip at the end of its Unpacked presentation and has allowed reporters — including myself and CNET’s Katie Collins — to see a prototype of the ring. However, the company hasn’t revealed key details like how much it will cost, when it will arrive and, most importantly, what exactly it will do.
Samsung’s comments suggest health tracking will be the ring’s main purpose, following the lead of the Oura, Evie and other tiny wellness devices designed to be worn around the finger. Apple is also rumored to be experimenting with the idea of a smart ring, according to Bloomberg, in yet another sign that health-tracking rings may be giving smartwatches more competition.
Here’s what we know about the Galaxy Ring so far. This story will be updated as we learn more details.
Read more: Samsung’s Surprise Galaxy Ring: Who’s This Actually For?
The Galaxy Ring’s features will be all about health
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The Samsung Galaxy Ring
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The Samsung Galaxy Ring
The Galaxy Ring will undoubtedly be a health-tracking device. Though Samsung didn’t say much about the product itself, Samsung Research America’s Matthew Wiggins introduced the ring during Samsung’s Unpacked keynote presentation by saying the company was “taking the possibilities of Samsung Health to the next level.” He also described the ring as a “powerful and accessible health and wellness device.”
Samsung’s general approach to health tracking comes down to four areas of focus: activity, nutrition, sleep and stress. That’s according to Hon Pak, vice president and head of the digital health team for the mobile experience business at Samsung Electronics, who sat down with CNET following Samsung Unpacked last month.
Those core categories could provide a clue about the health features we can expect on the Galaxy Ring. Samsung’s direction will also be reflected in some new features coming to the Samsung Health app that were announced at Unpacked, such as My Vitality Score and Booster Card. The former is similar to Oura’s Readiness Score and Garmin’s Body Battery, and it’s meant to gauge your physical and mental readiness by assessing things like sleep, activity, resting heart rate and heart rate variability. Booster Card, meanwhile, surfaces insights and tips throughout the day, such as providing observations that might explain why your sleep score was low last night.
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Samsung’s new My Vitality Score feature shown at Unpacked.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Ring
If the final version of the Galaxy Ring is the same as the prototype I saw after Unpacked, it will come in three colors: silver, dark gray and gold. ETNews also reports that the ring could come in eight sizes. That’s similar to the more recent look at the Galaxy Ring that my colleague got to see, which was available in nine sizes and the same gold, silver and ceramic black color choices (the latter of which I described as gray earlier).
But my colleague Katie Collins discovered that battery size can vary depending on the size of the ring. The smallest one had a 14.5 mAh battery, while the largest had a 21.5 mAh battery capacity.
The design is simplistic and sleek, almost resembling a traditional groom’s wedding band. It looks similar to the Oura ring. And like the Oura ring, most people are likely to mistake it for a regular piece of jewelry.
The Galaxy Ring will be Android only
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus.
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The Samsung Galaxy Ring
Samsung hasn’t said a word about how much the Galaxy Ring will cost or when it will launch. But other smart rings, like the Oura Ring, Evie Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air typically cost between $269 and $350 depending on the model. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Galaxy Ring fall somewhere within that range.
Samsung typically releases new Galaxy Watch models in the August time frame alongside its new Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. That would be an ideal time to formally introduce the Galaxy Ring, since it shares similarities with the Galaxy Watch. According to ETNews, Samsung will introduce the device at an Unpacked event in July.
We’ll have to wait to hear more details from Samsung. But if one thing seems certain, it’s that Samsung is doubling down on its ambitions in health tracking with the Galaxy Ring.
