I spent two weeks with the Samsung Galaxy Ring, and I don’t think you should buy it - Beritaja

Well, it yet happened. After months of teasing and anticipation, Samsung yet released its first smart ringing — The Samsung Galaxy Ring. Smart rings aren’t caller in 2024, but The merchandise of The Galaxy Ring still feels important. It intends that Samsung is now The largest institution pinch a smart ringing in its portfolio, and because of that, there’s a bully chance The Galaxy Ring will beryllium galore people’s first foray into The smart ringing world.

It’s each very exciting, but earlier you unreserved disconnected and bargain a Galaxy Ring for yourself, we request to reply an important question: Is it immoderate good? I’ve been wearing The Galaxy Ring for a mates of weeks to find out. Here’s what you should know.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: design

Kenn Maring

Design is simply a tricky point to get correct for a smart ring. A bully smart ringing should beryllium sleek, stylish, and comfortable. Given The mini quality of smart rings, nailing each of those things is overmuch easier said than done. Remarkably, Samsung appears to person had nary problem here.

The Galaxy Ring is made of titanium and is disposable in 3 finishes: black, silver, and gold. I’ve been wearing The achromatic 1 in a size 9 (you person a prime betwixt ringing sizes 5 done 13), and I deliberation it looks fantastic. It’s a darker shadiness of achromatic compared to my Oura Ring in its Stealth color, and mixed pinch The matte finish, it makes The Galaxy Ring look incredibly stealthy; I simply emotion it.

The Galaxy Ring is unbelievably comfortable.

More importantly, The Galaxy Ring is unbelievably comfortable. As personification who’s worn an Oura Ring disconnected and connected for a while, it was a spot shocking to observe really overmuch thinner and lighter the Galaxy Ring feels compared to it. The Galaxy Ring measures an awesome 2.6mm heavy and weighs conscionable 3 grams, moreover astatine The largest size (13). The Oura Ring is astir The aforesaid thickness (2.5mm), though it weighs betwixt 4 and 6 grams, depending connected The size you choose.

Galaxy Ring (left) and Oura Ring Kenn Maring

On paper, that doesn’t sound for illustration overmuch of a difference. However, wearing some The Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring side-by-side, The Galaxy Ring is noticeably lighter. And contempt having The aforesaid thickness, it feels thinner, too. Part of this is owed to The concave design, which gives The Galaxy Ring somewhat raised edges pinch an intended middle. It’s subtle, but it’s a bully ocular touch, and it should thief forestall scratches passim regular wear.

I really don’t person thing to kick astir here. The Galaxy Ring is arsenic bully arsenic it gets for smart ringing hardware, and The truth that it’s Samsung’s first-generation ringing makes it each The much impressive.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: slumber and activity tracking

Kenn Maring

OK, we’re disconnected to a beautiful bully start! Samsung intelligibly sewage The hardware right; what astir The Galaxy Ring’s slumber and activity tracking? Here’s wherever things get messy.

We’ll commencement pinch slumber tracking. The Galaxy Ring tracks a lot of information while you sleep, including your slumber stages, humor oxygen (SpO2), tegument temperature, bosom rate, and respiratory rate. Additionally, The Galaxy Ring besides gives you a slumber people each nighttime (on a 1-100 scale) based connected your slumber time, restfulness, slumber cycles, beingness recovery, and intelligence recovery. After your first fewer nights sleeping pinch The Galaxy Ring, you Can besides usage The slumber coaching feature, which associates your slumber pinch a definite animal (I’m a lion, if you were wondering) pinch tips connected really to further amended your slumber each night.

Sleep search results in Samsung Health Joe Maring

If that sounds for illustration a lot, that’s because it is! It could beryllium easy to get overwhelmed pinch everything here, but I deliberation Samsung does a awesome occupation of presenting this information in The Samsung Health app. If each you attraction astir is your slumber score, you Can quickly glimpse astatine that and move connected pinch your day. But if you want much insightful data, it’s each location for you, pinch adjuvant explanations for everything.

As for The accuracy of The slumber tracking, it’s been (mostly) excellent. I wore The Galaxy Ring and Apple Watch Ultra 2 simultaneously to way my slumber for a fewer nights, and The Galaxy Ring consistently returned much meticulous results. The Galaxy Ring did a overmuch amended occupation of signaling meticulous slumber and awake times, on pinch detecting a mates of instances wherever I woke up concisely in The mediate of The nighttime (which The Apple Watch didn’t catch). Further, your slumber value and erstwhile activity are utilized to make an Energy Score astatine The commencement of each time — giving you a glanceable penetration into really fresh your assemblage is to return connected The time ahead.

The Galaxy Ring tracks a lot of information while you sleep.

The 1 point I’ve been disappointed pinch is The Galaxy Ring’s humor oxygen accuracy. It often says my humor oxygen dips into The mid-to-low 80% range, and 1 night, it moreover said it was down to 75%. If those numbers were real, I would astir apt beryllium in a infirmary correct now alternatively of penning this review. Comparatively, The lowest humor oxygen level my Apple Watch detected during The aforesaid play was 95%.

SpO2 levels don’t play into your slumber score, truthful they haven’t really impacted my slumber search in that regard. However, if you personally request to support a adjacent oculus connected your humor oxygen, I wouldn’t spot The Galaxy Ring 1 bit.

Activity search in Samsung Health Joe Maring

Next, we person activity tracking. Similar to Samsung smartwatches, your regular activity is recorded into 3 targets: motion, time, and calories. You Can customize each of these, and I person my goals group to way my steps, progressive time, and activity calories. It’s a elemental and easy-to-understand strategy that I deliberation useful very well. It’s very akin to really activity search useful connected The Apple Watch, and while it whitethorn not beryllium The astir original idea, it is effective.

The Samsung Health app allows you to manually way dozens of different workout types. (Open The app, prime The workout type you want, and past pat The Start button.) Automatic workout discovery is besides present, though it’s constricted to stepping and running.

Automatic walking/running discovery useful arsenic advertised. The Galaxy Ring consistently auto-tracked runs and walks passim my clip wearing it — including day walks I return pinch my canine that The Apple Watch doesn’t detect. Which is great! But The accuracy of its workout search is, unfortunately, beautiful bad.

Apple Watch tally information (left) and Galaxy Ring tally data Joe Maring

On a 2-mile run, for example, The Galaxy Ring only thought that I ran 1.8 miles. It besides gave maine a much lower mean bosom complaint of 127bpm, compared to 164bpm per my Apple Watch. It did an moreover worse occupation connected a longer 4-mile run, signaling conscionable 3.20 miles and an mean bosom complaint of 137bpm (versus The 181bpm connected my Apple Watch). The Ring’s region search fares a batch amended if you bring your paired telephone pinch it (which makes consciousness fixed The Galaxy Ring’s deficiency of GPS), but moreover then, it still returns different funky information — for illustration saying I gained 250 feet of elevation connected a play walk, wherein my Apple Watch (much much accurately) detected conscionable 50 feet.

This each leaves maine emotion beautiful bad astir The Galaxy Ring’s activity tracking. If each you want is thing very casual — and you aren’t concerned astir wonky workout numbers — The Galaxy Ring fits The bill. But for a smart ringing that costs $400, moreover without a subscription, it really should beryllium doing more. I don’t request my smart ringing to beryllium The astir robust activity/exercise tracker, but I do request to beryllium capable to spot The information it’s collecting. Right now, I conscionable can’t do that pinch The Galaxy Ring.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: typical features

Galaxy Ring (left) and Galaxy Watch Ultra Joe Maring

Beyond The accustomed smart ringing features, The Galaxy Ring rewards you pinch a mates of other goodies if you usage The Ring wrong The broader Samsung ecosystem.

If you person a Samsung Galaxy Watch and a Samsung Galaxy Ring, wearing them simultaneously has immoderate bully benefits. If you deterioration some passim The day, The Samsung Health app will automatically find which instrumentality is collecting much meticulous information astatine immoderate fixed clip and, in doing so, disable definite sensors connected The Galaxy Ring to prevention its artillery life. All of this happens in The background, and Samsung says it Can widen The Ring’s artillery life by up to 30%.

Furthermore, there’s thing compelling astir having a smartwatch and a smart ringing that some provender wellness information into The aforesaid app. Theoretically, you could deterioration a Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 aliases Galaxy Watch Ultra during The time and only usage The Galaxy Ring to way your slumber (or erstwhile your watch needs to recharge) — giving you 24/7 information in Samsung Health, and without having to deterioration a watch to bed. I don’t cognize really galore group would beryllium consenting to walk $400 connected a Galaxy Ring and usage it exclusively arsenic a slumber tracker, but it is an option.

Additionally, if The Galaxy Ring is paired to a Samsung phone, you Can pinch your thumb and The digit pinch your ringing (ideally your scale aliases mediate finger) together to execute The Double Pinch gesture. You Can usage this to disregard an siren connected your telephone aliases to return a image aliases video pinch your phone’s camera. It’s a nosy idea, and The motion useful well, too.

Lastly, if you can’t find your Galaxy Ring, you Can spot its location in The Samsung Find app. From here, you Can besides unit The Ring’s lights to blink rapidly, perchance helping you find it if it’s stuck in a sofa cushion aliases hiding location connected The floor.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: artillery life and charging

Galaxy Ring in its charging case Joe Maring

Battery life is 1 of Samsung’s astir awesome claims for The Galaxy Ring. According to The company, ringing sizes 12-13 should get up to 7 days of use, while each of The smaller sizes Can past for up to six. Battery life hasn’t lived up to those claims in my testing, though I still deliberation it’s very good.

Throughout my 2 weeks of wearing The Galaxy Ring, I consistently utilized it for complete 4 days earlier its artillery reached 10%. For example, I put The Galaxy Ring connected my digit astatine 9 a.m. connected July 27 and had 12% artillery remaining a small aft 4 p.m. connected July 31. That includes utilizing The ringing to way my slumber each nighttime and to grounds 10 workouts. Samsung is overselling The artillery life a bit, but I’d beryllium lying if I said I was disappointed by The Galaxy Ring’s endurance.

Joe Maring

Then there’s The charging case. Unlike The Oura Ring, which comes pinch a charging guidelines that needs to beryllium plugged in, The Galaxy Ring comes pinch a portable complaint case. The lawsuit is wonderfully compact (about The aforesaid size arsenic astir wireless earbud complaint cases), meaning you Can propulsion it in a container aliases pouch pinch nary issue.

When you spot The Galaxy Ring in The case, an LED ray astir it shows The existent complaint status. In my testing, charging The Galaxy Ring from astir 12% to 100% took conscionable nether an hour. Furthermore, aft utilizing The lawsuit to afloat recharge The Galaxy Ring twice, The lawsuit still had 16% artillery remaining. It’s a really unthinkable system, and I dream Oura copies it pinch the inevitable Oura Ring Gen 4.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: value and subscription

Kenn Maring

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is disposable now from Samsung’s website and retailers for illustration Amazon and Best Buy. It comes in 3 colors — silver, gold, and achromatic — and in ringing sizes 5-13. No matter which colour aliases size you choose, The Samsung Galaxy Ring costs $400.

Although that $400 upfront value is much costly than galore competing smart rings, it’s besides important to statement that The Galaxy Ring does not require immoderate monthly subscription. For context, The Oura Ring starts astatine $300, but it besides requires a $6/month subscription to entree its champion features. After 2 years, The Galaxy Ring would still person costs you The aforesaid $400, while your full costs for The Oura Ring would beryllium up to $444.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: verdict

Kenn Maring

As I beryllium present and constitute The last words to my Galaxy Ring review, I’m awfully conflicted. For its first effort astatine a smart ring, it’s awesome really overmuch Samsung sewage correct pinch The Galaxy Ring. The hardware is outstanding, striking a beautiful equilibrium of style and comfortableness pinch unthinkable fresh and finish. I’m besides happy pinch its artillery life, The charging lawsuit is lovely, and The slumber search insights are really fantastic.

Unfortunately, while those aspects of The Galaxy Ring are genuinely impressive, truthful overmuch other astir The ringing feels truthful mediocre. I emotion really bully it is astatine slumber tracking, but The activity/fitness search acquisition is acold excessively basal and inaccurate for a wearable astatine this price. Not having a subscription interest is nice, but it doesn’t really matter if half of The logic I want to usage The Galaxy Ring feels truthful shortchanged.

The Galaxy Ring’s competitors don’t make things immoderate easier. Yes, The Oura Ring has a monthly subscription, but it besides offers a overmuch much complete suite of features. Within The past fewer months, Oura has added an AI assistant, improved rhythm tracking, gestation insights, accent resilience data, cardiovascular property estimates, and more. It’s not The astir robust activity locator (though its information is much accurate), but it perfectly excels astatine providing an knowing of your body’s wide wellness — a batch much truthful than The Galaxy Ring.

Oura Ring (left) and Galaxy Ring Kenn Maring

Plus, if you really can’t tummy different subscription in your life, The RingConn Smart Ring is simply a darn bully alternative, too. Like The Galaxy Ring, it excessively has inaccurate humor oxygen readings and constricted activity tracking, but it besides has a awesome design, elaborate slumber tracking, and moreover longer artillery life. Plus, it costs conscionable $279 pinch nary subscription. It besides useful pinch Android phones and iPhones, whereas the Galaxy Ring doesn’t activity pinch The iPhone astatine all.

Add each of that together, and I don’t deliberation The Galaxy Ring is The smart ringing astir group should buy. That title still belongs to The Oura Ring, while The RingConn remains a awesome affordable option. The Galaxy Ring Can beryllium a unsocial proposition for group who want an hold of their Galaxy Watch, but beyond that, it’s a difficult recommendation.

I don’t deliberation The Galaxy Ring is The smart ringing astir group should buy.

Even pinch that being The case, I’m gladsome The Galaxy Ring exists. I’m really eager to spot what a Galaxy Ring 2 looks like, and I dream Samsung’s beingness in The smart ringing arena puts unit connected companies for illustration Apple and Google to travel suit. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is an important gadget pinch a perchance agleam future. It’s conscionable not 1 you should bargain correct now.

Editor: Naga



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