That’s partly because it’s new territory for Samsung, which has recently highlighted its interest in artificial intelligence and home robots, but it’s also the first big tech company to embrace a kind of health device that’s not yet fully mainstream.
Over the past five years, smart rings have grown in popularity due to their ability to monitor key aspects of a user’s health, such as heart rate and sleep quality, without the need to wear a full-fledged smartwatch (the fact that they have a battery life of almost a week on a single charge is definitely a plus).
But these devices can’t offer the full suite of health features that companies are cramming into larger devices like smartwatches. For example, Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch can alert users if it detects signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, something the Galaxy Ring lacks altogether.
Despite the challenges of packing a battery and health-tracking sensors into a tiny package, at least six companies, including Oura, Ultrahuman and Movano, are actively working on developing and selling smart rings. Even Apple, which is eager to tout the health features of its smartwatches, is reportedly considering the idea, according to Bloomberg News, though no such device is in the works.
The Galaxy Ring has some key differences from competing models, but not all of them are great.
For example, unlike rival products, Samsung’s new wearable is only compatible with Android devices (sorry iPhone users), but if this isn’t a deal-breaker for you, there are some novel advantages here.
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Samsung’s smart ring is one of the few that’s easy to find if it gets lost: The company’s Samsung Find app records the wearable’s last known location (and it lights up red and green to make it easier to find).
The Galaxy Ring can also control the company’s smartphones to a certain extent: pinching the ring twice on your finger will cause the connected smartphone to stop an early morning alarm or take a photo when the camera app is open.
The Galaxy Ring costs nothing extra to use, beyond the initial fee. (Currently, the best-known smart ring company, Oura, charges $5.99 per month for access to more advanced features, such as viewing long-term trends in your health data.)
“The entry of a major tech company like Samsung into the smart ring market really adds value to the industry,” Amaury Cosman, CEO of smart ring maker Circulor, said when Samsung’s rival model was first announced in January.
