Samsung may be developing its own smart ring, a wearable device that can monitor health and fitness data in a similar way to one of the best fitness trackers.
Like the Galaxy Buds, Galaxy S23, and Galaxy Watch 5, the new smart ring would likely use the brand’s typical naming convention and be called the Galaxy Ring. Few details about it are known yet, but trademark application (opens in a new tab) who revealed its existence described the Galaxy Rings as “smart devices for measuring health and/or sleep indicators in the form of a ring” (translated from Korean).
This description sounds very similar to existing smart rings such as the Oura ring. In our four-star review of the Oura Ring, we praised the impressive range of health sensors, although it’s quite pricey compared to a typical $299 smartwatch (around £230 / AU$420) – and that price can seem like a particularly hard pill to swallow when taken into account note that smartwatches are more useful than rings thanks to their screens.
However, rings also have their advantages. First, they tend to last longer on a single charge than a smartwatch, and they’re also a more fashionable piece.
While I love the capabilities of my Fitbit, it’s not the prettiest wearable – especially compared to my favorite analog watch. So when I need to dress smart, it’s not hard for me to find a reason to replace the fitness tracker with a tech-free option.
While it’s unlikely I’ll need my fitness stats when I’m wearing a suit – not appropriate attire for a 5K run or 99% of sports – both fitness trackers and watches now come with sensors that monitor a variety of fitness metrics health and other data, some of which could potentially save lives.
Electrocardiogram technology in wearables allows them to detect if you have an irregular heartbeat – an early sign of serious health problems – and the Apple Watch 8 includes a crash detection that can automatically send an alert to emergency services if you’re in an accident.
With a smart ring, we can have the best of both worlds – we can wear a more conventional watch that suits our style and still keep track of our important health data. Also, should Samsung enter the smart ring market, the price of the technology could drop, making the rings an even more attractive option.
Filing trademarks doesn’t guarantee we’ll ever see the product in question – chances are Samsung will just claim the name before another brand tries to create its own Galaxy Ring – but given the growing interest in wearable fitness and health, we wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung (along with other device makers) had a smart ring on the way.