This might be a huge moment for the mobile industry as a whole, but we might not realize it yet. Smart rings have been a thing, but with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring today, the South Korean manufacturer has become the first massive brand to jump into that market segment.
Samsung's presence in smart rings could cause a snowball effect on the growth of the segment, as other big electronics manufacturers might become more confident dipping their toes in the pool. Anyway, the Ring becoming official means we have several fewer questions regarding exactly what this device can do, so let's talk.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring Has Arrived, Intent On 24/7 Health Tracking
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is here and while trying to figure out exactly what Samsung was going to get it to do was a nice mental exercise, the fun is over.
The Galaxy Ring tracks your health metrics using sensors for sleep, activity, skin temperature, and heart rate. Using new sleep algorithms, your sleep movement, sleep latency, heart rate, and respiratory rate, the Galaxy Ring can provide an accurate Sleep Score. You also get Energy Score, which is provided thanks to Galaxy AI, which calculates your physical condition based on your sleep, activity, sleeping heart rate, and sleeping heart rate variability. And, you can act on improving your health thanks to the new Wellness Tips feature in Samsung Health.
You'll also be able to use this smart ring as a remote shutter or dismiss your blaring alarm clock thanks to the Gestures feature. The Ring comes with a charging case so that you can always juice up your smart ring on the go, and with the Ring itself, you'll get seven straight days of battery life. That's part of the benefits of not having a display, even with as small as an 18mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring Comes In 9 Sizes And Costs More Than The Competition
Samsung has made it clear that its new Galaxy Ring is designed to be worn 24/7 like a normal ring is. It will come in nine different sizes, in three colors: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold which is the only color with a glossy finish. You heard the word titanium, and yes, the Ring has a Grade 5 titanium finish with a slightly concave design. Plus, it weighs just 2.3 grams at the smallest ring size and 3 grams at the largest. Plus, 10ATM water resistance means you can take this pretty much anywhere.
Now, how much is the Samsung Galaxy Ring going to cost? Well, it'll be $400, regardless of the size that you get. That is expensive, especially considering many competing smart rings have prices starting with a 2, at least for base models. But then again, they aren't made by Samsung, are they?
It's a costly smart ring and it'll be interesting to see how many people take a chance on this new product line in its first generation. On the bright side at least, Samsung dispelled the subscription rumors, so you'll only need to pay once.
