The Samsung Galaxy Ring is the hot new tech in town, but it surprises many people that it actually has fewer features than the Galaxy Watch.
The new Galaxy Ring is stealing the headlines, as Samsung moves into the smart ring market for the first time. But its had people asking us at Wareable ‘what’s actually the difference between the ring and the Galaxy Watch.’
And it’s a good question. Because despite the $399/£399 price tag ($100 more than the base level 40mm Watch 7) the Galaxy Ring does far less. In fact, and here’s the kicker, it doesn’t do anything that the Watch can’t.
So why plump for the Galaxy Ring? Below we run through some of the key considerations.
Read more: Galaxy Ring hands-on review | Galaxy Watch 7 early review
Design
It’s obvious to point out that a Ring and Watch are very different form factors. Many people simply do not want to wear a smartwatch, perhaps because they already own a ‘proper’ watch that they love, or because they find watches uncomfortable.
The Ring solves that nicely. But it’s also important to remember that smart rings themselves aren’t totally inconspicuous. The Galaxy Ring weighs just 3g, and from our time with it, is one of the best out there in terms of its build. But it’s still chunkier and more noticeable than any ordinary ring – and it will attract attention.
There’s also an element of digital minimalism here. Smartwatches are more noise – another screen, more interruptions and notifications. The Ring takes all that away, quietly collecting your health data, so that you can review on your terms. That said, the Samsung Galaxy Ring will notify you when you’ve been sedentary for too long – so it’s not quite clear of annoying interruptions.
Sleep tracking
At the Samsung Unpacked event, Samsung was at pains to point out that the Galaxy Ring has the same sleep tracking powers as the Galaxy Watch. So what’s the difference?
Well, the first is form factor. It’s more comfortable to sleep with a smart ring than a smartwatch – and that’s what has driven people to the smart ring form factor in general.
Then there’s the battery life. Sleeping with a Galaxy Watch 7 is good in theory, but because the battery life is single day, you’ll need to charge it to get through the next day. That’s easy in theory, but take it from me, the amount of times I forget to charge my Watch and find it’s dead when I want to record a workout at lunchtime, or charge it and then forget it altogether, is enormous.
So these two elements are serious barriers to effective sleep tracking, and a problem the Galaxy Ring solves.
Battery life
As we mentioned, the battery life of the Galaxy Watch 7 is rated as single day. So it requires constant charging to extract the maximum health-tracking potential.
With a promised seven day battery life – and the fact you can they three complete charges out of its portable charging case – the Ring offers a break from battery anxiety.
Fewer health features
But you also need two consider what you don’t get from the Ring, compared to the watch. There are no notifications, alarms, and it won’t tell you if someone is ringing your smartphone if it’s not in your pocket. And you can’t make payments on the go – that one in particular feels like something that smart rings will do one day.
What’s more, while the Galaxy Ring is a ‘health-focused’ device – it lacks most of the Galaxy Watch’s premium health features.
You don’t get ECG, blood pressure tracking, or the new monitoring of AGEs – a new metabolic health landing on Galaxy Watch 7.
You also don’t get GPS for the tracking of workouts. And while exercise detection is part of the Galaxy Ring’s feature set, we’ve not used a smart ring that’s been any cop for tracking high heart rates. Smart rings are not good workout trackers at all.
The detail of daily activity is also less complete than a Galaxy Watch. So in short, the health tracking of this fitness/wellness smart ring is diminished over a smartwatch. And that’s important to remember.
Verdict
Investing in the Galaxy Ring is a vote for the form factor and battery life – over the features and metrics you get.
If you’re looking for more health features, you’ll be disappointed. You’ll need to choose the Samsung Galaxy Ring.
Buying a Galaxy Ring is about a more regular, longer-lasting relationship with health data, and in a sense, digital minimalism – where you can go about your day getting meaningful health data without the noise and interruptions of the smartwatch.
