Updated: Everything we know about Samsung's smart ring
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is finally official, and a 2024 release date now looks nailed on.
Samsung has provided official pictures of the smart ring ahead of its full release, and we’ve also taken a selection from a very dimly-lit Samsung booth at MWC 2024 in Barcelona in February.
With Samsung’s teaser, we have a good idea about the Galaxy Ring design. However, there’s still plenty we don’t know about the smart ring – that’s why we’re currently leaning on rumors from industry insiders and patents to help fill out the picture.
Below, we’ve provided the latest info on the Galaxy Ring design, potential pricing (and subscription fees), features, and more.
What does the Samsung Galaxy Ring look like?
- Concave design
- Available in black or silver
The Galaxy Ring’s design was shown off in much more detail at MWC 2024, though physical hands-on time with the device has proven very restricted by Samsung.
We do know, though, that the Galaxy Ring has a concave design, so the middle of the ring is slightly recessed to offer a little design finesse. This can be seen more clearly in our images (below) than in Samsung’s latest press shots (above) released in time with the tech expo.
It’ll also come in a silver or a black finish, though neither of these is matte (from what we’ve seen so far, at least).
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As we’ll cover a little more below, Samsung is also yet to confirm any price or release date information. Currently, we only know what it looks like and that its key focus will be tracking health and wellness.
Samsung Galaxy Ring release date
Even though the Galaxy Ring was shown to those on the show floor at MWC, we still have no idea when we might see availability announced by Samsung.
Given that it has already been unveiled, however, we would expect to see it officially arrive in line with the upcoming Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch FE range.
It’s widely regarded that the announcements for those devices will take place at a Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris on Wednesday, 10 July.
Availability for the next-gen wearables is expected to be lined up for the start of the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday, 26 July, which makes it likely the Galaxy Ring will be launched alongside.
However, this is all just calculated guesswork for now. Samsung may reveal more details but not make the Galaxy Ring available until later this year.
We’ll keep this section updated with all the latest rumors and speculation, though, so check back for more over the coming weeks.
How much will the Galaxy Ring cost?
There’s been little to no information relating to pricing, though one leaker – Yogesh Brar – has indicated that the Galaxy Ring will be available for $300-350.
We would expect the price to be dictated by finishes to some extent, which perhaps explains this relatively wide range.
Brar also suggests that Samsung will follow Oura’s strategy of requiring a subscription fee from users. This is alleged to be “less than $10” per month, though, at present, no explanation has been provided as to what users would receive from this.
It’s also unclear whether such a subscription would be required to access all the features of Samsung’s range of smartwatches, too – something that doesn’t currently exist.
Given it would presumably get pretty messy if it didn’t (why would you pay a subscription fee for a less-capable ring instead of just buying a subscription-less watch), we’re still not convinced Samsung is planning to introduce this one.
We’re awaiting additional insider info that could help corroborate this pricing.
Confirmed features and latest rumors
- Sleep tracking and health monitoring are key features
- Only compatible with Android
- May require a subscription
The existence of a Samsung Galaxy Ring first appeared in a patent, which Wareable first reported back in October 2022. And it didn’t take long to rear its head again – in February 2023 – before being officially revealed by the company in January 2024.
Despite some initial details added by Samsung during its initial reveal, though, we know little about what the Galaxy Ring will do. With that in mind, below are some of the most important confirmed features, plus some of the latest rumors and potential features based on patents.
Powered by Samsung Health and Galaxy AI
Like Oura and other top-tier wellness devices, Samsung is positioning this smart ring for those who want to track sleep and recovery.
An all-new ‘Vitality Score’ will be front and center, and appears very much to be a rehash of the readiness scores we’ve seen from the likes of Oura, Whoop, Garmin, and others.
What’s more, actionablity is a big part of the mix, and there will be suggestion cards powered by the all-new Galaxy AI that reveal ways to improve your stats.
The Galaxy Watch’s partnerships with fertility tracking app Natural Cycles look set to roll out for the Galaxy Ring, too.
Android users only
At MWC, Samsung confirmed that compatibility with the Galaxy Ring will be limited to Android users.
This is better than the Galaxy Ring being exclusive to Samsung phone users, as was once rumored, though those with an iPhone will be left out in the cold (as we’ve also seen with Samsung/Wear OS smartwatch compatibility in recent years).
Advanced tracking sensors
According to the patent filings, the Galaxy Ring could feature the ability to take ECG measurements and monitor temperature.
Filed in October last year with the USPTO – and first spotted by Korean outlet Naver – the filing’s sketches and notes point to a fairly sensor-packed ring, with ECG and PPG sensors.
So this would be a smart ring with a big health focus – something that would more than match the technology offered by the Oura Ring 3.
Possible smart home integrations
It’s not all about big health features – and Samsung could use the Galaxy Ring to bolster its smart home ecosystem, if we account for a patent from 2016.
The filing doesn’t go into great detail, but it does discuss the basic function of using the ring to link up with and control smartphones, tablets, and TVs.
It’s the kind of integration we’ve yet to witness on a smart ring, and it would be interesting if Samsung could build in meaningful features without adding to the overall size.
Samsung Galaxy Ring: Initial unveiling
Samsung officially teased the Samsung Galaxy Ring at its Galaxy S24 Unpacked event in San Jose in late January. You can watch the unveiling in the two-minute video above.
At the end of the show, the company showed off a short teaser video of the Galaxy Ring – and officially confirmed its existence for the first time.
There was precious little information, and, as discussed, there’s no release date, price, or much word on features. It was described as a “powerful and accessible” health and wellness device.
Wareable says:
Given Samsung’s pedigree in the smartwatch market, the Galaxy Ring will almost certainly prove to be a popular addition to the smart ring market.
It will also bring plenty of attention to the form factor, which is currently dominated by companies that, while excellent, are not household names.
Samsung’s leap into the market is something we discussed in detail with industry experts in a recent PULSE by Wareable podcast, but it’s also true it has plenty of catching up to do.
With rings like the Oura Ring 3 offering excellent sleep tracking accuracy and plenty of health insights in form factors that are getting thinner and lighter, the Galaxy Ring is unlikely to emerge as the best smart ring for some time.
Samsung Health has improved considerably in the wearables space, though, and we saw some excellent health features land on the Galaxy Watch 6 with One UI 5 Watch / Wear OS 4.
So, Samsung seems well-placed to deliver a solid debut fitness and health smart ring in 2024.
