I Didn’t Buy Into Wearables, Then I Used The Samsung Galaxy Ring

In the week I’ve spent with the Samsung Galaxy Ring for this review, I’ve done a complete 180.

I was of the belief that fitness trackers — and wearables as a whole — were nothing more than the latest flavour-of-the-month gimmick. And to be clear: it wasn’t because WHOOP bands, Oura Rings, or whatever smartwatches you dig are bad products. I just never saw the point.

But all it took was an impressively intuitive suite of analytics, accessed through the Samsung Health companion app, and a discreet yet functional design to change my mind.

So what’s the story behind the Samsung Galaxy Ring?

The Samsung Galaxy Ring was officially unveiled at the latest Unpacked global event in Paris.

Showcased alongside everything from an AI-powered Galaxy Z Fold and Flip; to the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch7, along with beefier Galaxy Buds — this is the South Korean tech giant’s answer to the likes of Oura, Evie, and Ultrahuman.

“The latest additions to our wearables portfolio integrate Samsung’s most advanced technologies and innovations, enabling you to take control of your health and wellness,” said TM Roh, President of Samsung Mobile.

Head of Mobile for Samsung Australia, Eric Chou, noted: “With Galaxy AI and Samsung Health driving next-gen benefits, we’re confident our 2024 wearables range will continue to change the game for Australian customers.”

The titanium flex began selling domestically on October 16th, 2024 in nine sizes and three scratch-proof finishes — gold, silver, and the ever-popular black. Pro tip: scope out your exact fit with a sizing kit before copping one.

Who’s the buyer?

Before penning this review, my assumption was the health-conscious, wannabe biohackers, and Samsung diehards. Given my own self-confessed conversion, the net has widened considerably.

Call it a copout answer, but any Android user willing to track their vitals is the key demo. Although I anticipate the sticker price might be a barrier for people to try it out on a whim. More on that later.

What’s it like day-to-day?

The Samsung Galaxy Ring features three distinct sensors within its elegant design: an accelerometer, heart rate tracker, and skin thermometer working in tandem to deliver insights galore about your sleep, stress, oxygen levels, workouts, heart health, and if applicable, menstrual cycles.

Arriving in a wonderfully stylish charge/pairing case that carries approximately seven days of charge to supplement the ring’s own seven-day capacity, the ring sports a slimline 7mm width by 2.6mm thickness. It’s a good thing it’s durable and water resistant up to 100 metres too, because you’ll forget it’s there.

As someone who’d never particularly bothered to look into my health data beyond steps, calories, and that one time body composition mattered for another article… this was a gamechanger. A hack even, that tricked me into being invested in my own wellness by almost gamifying it with the Samsung Health app.

The first 24 hours with your Samsung Galaxy Ring will undoubtedly be the most eye-opening, even if you knew what you were being told on some level. Case in point: I wager nothing will motivate you to quit nicotine cold turkey more than seeing your dependency on it graphed (see: above).

The real standout, in my opinion, is the sheer granularity of sleep tracking.

Not only is the sleep duration accurate to the minute; it also monitors your various sleep stages, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and snoring to paint a near-complete picture of what’s going on during your shut-eye.

This is all fed to an algorithm that assigns you a sleep score, which contributes to your overall energy score, as well as your AI-powered “sleeping coach.”

Other notable details include how you can dismiss your Samsung smartphone alarm with a Double Pinch finger gesture; and the fact you can toggle the division of labour between the ring and Samsung Galaxy Watch (i.e. assign battery-intensive measuring to the latter, preserving the former’s charge).

Back to the matter of battery life, the Samsung Galaxy Ring’s fast charging (30 minutes for 40%, 90 minutes for 100%) is also commendable. At the absolute most, you’ll only ever have to top up once a week, perhaps while you get ready for bed like I did.

The case’s capacity also means you can essentially be on the move for an entire fortnight before anything needs to be plugged in.

Sounds pretty good, any drawbacks?

The biggest dilemma I encountered wasn’t so much a Samsung Galaxy Ring issue as it was a me issue.

Kickboxing and grappling make up the majority of my fitness routine, meaning there was a considerable reporting outage during my most active hours. And I imagine the same obstacles will be faced by anyone who power lifts or climbs.

Like I said, a fairer assessment would be to frame this as an issue with combat sports and wearables across the board (not just smart rings). Mark my words, whoever invents smart gloves/smart rashies is going to print money.

On the subject of reporting, as much as I was blown away by the health insights, I couldn’t help but feel sceptical at times. Particularly on occasions where my “stress” spiked dramatically for no apparent reason — and to no outward effect. Maybe I really am high-strung and this is simply the norm for me. More likely, we have a kink in the calibration.

Another minor gripe was the fact it can’t differentiate between elevated heart rate due to exercise and supposed “stress.” I’m of the belief that if a feature cannot function perfectly, it’s not even worth including.

And finally… we can probably give those AI wellness tips a miss. They’re not helping anyone, and somewhat undermine the credibility of everything else the ring has managed to accomplish.

What does the competition look like?

At $699, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is one of the most expensive wearables in its category.

The top-end Oura Horizon in Rose Gold hovers around $549; while the cheapest Heritage Silver sets you back $299. It is, however, worth noting that Oura charges an ongoing membership fee to access your data — $9.99 per month or $109.99 annually; making Samsung’s entry a better long-term proposition in this sense.

The subscription-less Ultrahuman Ring Air is also more affordable at $349 for largely the same functions (though we cannot personally guarantee the same quality). Do with that information what you will.

Final thoughts.

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Granted, from a purely monetary aspect, the Samsung Galaxy Ring might not have been my first choice. Having said that, you certainly get what you paid for. Especially if you’re already in the Samsung ecosystem and rocking one of their smartwatches or phones.

It’s clear that this bad boy serves you best playing second string to a Samsung Galaxy Watch, though even as a solo act, the ring was compelling enough to warrant the time of day.

I hesitate to label it as a necessity for anyone who takes their health seriously, but I will say it offers a world of difference between just tracking your steps and calories. Don’t think of it as the silver bullet for killing those health problems; think of it as an equally crucial flashlight in the shadowy cave of tackling your health ambitions.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is now available to purchase. Hit the link below to find out more.

The author was provided with a Samsung Galaxy for the purposes of this review.