Samsung Galaxy Ring: HandsOn With The GameChanging New Wearable

Samsung just announced that it has a new gadget waiting to be released: the Samsung Galaxy Ring. You can guess something about the name (like it's round and fits under the finger), but nothing else is known.

Shortly after the announcement in January, I researched it, tried it, and asked a lot of questions. This is what I learned.

First, there's nothing surprising yet, Dr. Hong Park of Samsung Electronics' Digital Health Group warned me. The design of the rings that I tried on my finger could change beyond recognition, have a different look, different colors, different materials. So think of it as a prototype.

look and feel

The rings I saw and felt came in a wide variety of colors and finishes, including rich gold and subtle dark tones. They told me the ring was titanium, that's why it was so clear. It felt like the same weight as the Oura ring I wear every day, which weighs 0.14 oz or 4 g, so it felt about the same. This is important: one of the main features of a smartwatch is that it should be light and discreet enough to be worn at night, so that people who find smartwatches too heavy to wear at night can monitor your measurements. .

ALSO READ:Conan OBrien Is Launching His First Free Streaming Channel Exclusively On Samsung TV Plus

This is part of Samsung's goal. As Dr. Park explained: “Particularly with the Ring, you realize that a wearable is only as good as the people who use it. If people don't use it, it doesn't matter."

The design was understated but distinctive, at least for the time being, with smooth concave channels covering the exterior. It was nice. In fact, it feels so good that I feel like I can play with my big toe as I stick my toe into the Ovre ring hole. On Oura, this has the added benefit of helping me keep the ring on my finger in the correct orientation for the sensors to work. There is no such anchor in the Galaxy Ring prototype.

The canal appeared thin and more noticeable than it appears in the image above as it appeared in the presentation.

Characteristics

Samsung doesn't say what size the ring will measure. It tracks your sleep and possibly your blood oxygen levels. The Korean FDA has approved Samsung's sleep apnea monitoring techniques, so they are likely a target for Ring as well.

ALSO READ:Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite Gets New Security Update

Dr. Park says the Ring's readings are comparable in accuracy to those of the Galaxy Watch, though he didn't say which of the various readings taken by the Watch will filter into the Ring.

One thing is clear: Samsung takes accurately tracking our health seriously. Dr Park said: “The trend in wearables in general is for what used to be on-demand to become more passive rather than being measured in the background. As all of this happens in a multi-faceted wilderness, I think the patterns we don't know are becoming clearer. “What happens is that wearables never give us context that we didn't know about.”

Publication date

Samsung's official line will launch this year. “Will it be the first half or the second half?” Answering the question the answer was yes. But seriously, Dr. Pak said that this will most likely happen in the second half of 2024. No pricing instructions were given.

Alternatively, you can read Janhoy McGregor's detailed article on galactic rings here on Forbes.

Samsung Galaxy Ring is a new wearable device!