Technology

Samsung Galaxy Ring Hands-On: 3 Things I Learned

Published

6 days ago

July 11, 2024

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Samsung just launched a range of new devices at its big Unpacked event in Paris, and one of them was the Galaxy Ring.

The company’s first-generation smart ring is finally here after being teased at MWC in January and then again. It will go up against brands like Oura, RingConn and Circular and will undoubtedly give the category mainstream visibility.

Tech Advisor attended a briefing at Samsung’s flagship store in King’s Cross a week prior to Unpacked, where we got to play with all the devices. Here’s what I learned about the Galaxy Ring.

Note that while I saw the smart ring in different sizes and colors, Samsung didn’t pair any of them with a smartphone to see the software.

The charging case is genius

I hate charging devices when you get an annoying custom number with a USB cable that is normally way too short to be useful.

That happens far too often for wearables, including the Oura Ring Gen 3, but Samsung has taken a different path with a charging case.

It’s not exclusive to the Galaxy Ring, as the RingConn Smart Ring also has one, but I think Samsung’s execution is better – even if the clear design has something strangely dental to me.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The ring sits neatly in the case and an LED ring around it shows the charging progress. Like wireless earbuds, the case has its own battery, so you can charge the Galaxy Ring wherever you are: four to six times, depending on your size.

When the case is empty, you can recharge it via USB-C and it also supports wireless charging.

Light but not luxurious

I’m somewhat torn on this because while the Galaxy Ring’s design is attractive, it didn’t feel as premium as I expected.

Of course, it’s great that the device comes in three colors – Titanium Silver, Titanium Black and Titanium Gold – and that it’s made from grade 5 titanium. Samsung also says its ‘unique concave surface’ makes it scratch resistant.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

In real life, however, there isn’t a strong, tangible sense that it’s made of metal, and for me that’s because of the weight. Depending on the size you choose, the Galaxy Ring weighs only 2.3-3 grams.

On the one hand, that’s a good thing, as it’s a device you’d have to wear 24 hours a day, but a little more weight would make it feel high-end and opulent. And I don’t think it would make a difference in terms of finger fatigue.

Features that rivals can only dream of

Compared to competing smart rings at the moment, Samsung has something on its side: its ecosystem.

When you use the Galaxy Ring with other Samsung devices, you get several benefits you won’t find anywhere else.

For example, if you use it with a Galaxy Watch 7, not only will you get more accurate tracking because the software receives two sets of data to collect, but the Galaxy Ring will last up to 30% longer because it takes less time to take heart rate measurements.

With an estimated battery life of up to seven days – the same as the rival Oura Ring Gen 3 – that’s a big difference.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Pair it with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and you can use pinch gestures (between your ring finger and thumb) to take a photo and turn off alarms, for example. It also works with Find My Samsung if you lose it.

I haven’t been able to try out these features, but I have no reason to believe they won’t work as advertised.

Will you buy one?

The Galaxy Ring is available to pre-order now for £399/$399 and while that’s more than some rivals, there are no subscription fees.

My first impressions are mostly positive, and the Galaxy Ring seems particularly impressive for a first-generation device. I’m expecting a review sample soon to see if it lives up to Samsung’s claims, so keep an eye out for that.

Find out how the Galaxy Ring compares to the Oura Ring Gen 3.