I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Ring for over two weeks now, and it’s been quite enjoyable. But is it actually worth $399? The Ring is designed to track your health stats, like heart rate, in one of the most unobtrusive ways possible. If you find wearing a bulky smartwatch uncomfortable, this might be a good alternative. You can get it in ring sizes 5 to 13, and even visit a Samsung store to get measured.
Design and Build Quality
The Samsung Galaxy ring is constructed from titanium and is at least partially plated. It features a concave surface and comes in various sizes, with each size being 7mm thick at its widest point and weighing under 3grams. Despite its appearance, it’s surprisingly light. Samsung designed it for the ring finger, but it fits well on other fingers too. It can occasionally feel like wearing knuckle dusters, but it’s comfortable for 24-hour wear. If you wear multiple rings, they might clash.
Available in black, silver, and gold, I have the gold version, which is glossy and shiny. I prefer a matte finish, as the ring can get smudgy. It may need occasional cleaning, especially if you enjoy fried foods. The ring is still in excellent condition, thanks to its titanium finish and concave design. The ring is IP68 water and dust resistant and can withstand depths of up to 10 atmospheres, making it suitable for swimming and snorkeling.
Gestures Controls and Wearable App
The Ring supports built-in gestures. For example, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Z Flip 6, you can open the camera app, prop the phone up, and use a quick double pinch to take a photo. This feature is also useful for silencing alarms. You can deactivate these gestures in Samsung’s Wearable app. The app also allows general customization, battery life checking, and health setup, including heart rate alerts and activity detection for walking or running. You can turn off inactive time tracking if needed.
If you need to find your ring, you can locate it on a map using Samsung Find and activate internal sensor lights if it’s dropped in the dark. Wearing the Samsung Galaxy Ring 24/7 tracks health stats like heart rate and SpO2 levels and provides personalized health insights. While it may not be perfect and can sometimes show minimal exercise, it offers a decent overview of your health.
Sleep Tracking
The Samsung Galaxy Ring tracks sleep well, and wearing a ring to bed is more comfortable than a bulky smartwatch. It accurately records how much sleep you get, though sometimes it misinterprets lying awake in the morning as light sleep. Occasionally, it failed to detect waking up at 3:00 a.m. or mistook being still for being awake. Despite these issues, it provides a good estimate of deep and light sleep. The ring also includes snore detection, using your phone’s mic to record snoring, which you can play back. Wearable app offers sleep coaching to improve sleep quality, but the P2 levels it records are often inaccurate. These levels sometimes drop to around 80%, while most smartwatches show 95%.
Fitness Tracking
Heart rate measurements on the Samsung Galaxy Ring fluctuate more than on other smartwatches. If precise fitness tracking is important to you, consider other options. For general tracking, it’s decent. You receive daily energy and sleep scores. The sleep score is usually accurate but low after a bad night, while the energy score can be unreliable. The criteria are mainly based on sleep and previous day activity. Wearing the ring consistently gives you insights and tips through Samsung Health. Workout detection is limited to walking and running, which the ring can auto-detect. However, distances and speeds are not always accurate and can vary. Other exercises like boxing or cycling are not tracked. The ring is expensive but doesn’t have additional subscription fees.
Battery Life
Samsung claims up to 7 days of battery life per charge, with slightly more for larger rings. Wearing it with a Galaxy Watch 7 extends battery life. Without the watch, I get about 4 days of battery life. The ring charges in a case, which shows the remaining charge level. The case supports wireless charging and can recharge the ring about twice before needing its own recharge.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Ring costs $399, which I wouldn’t pay personally. While I appreciate the less invasive sleep tracking, the fitness tracking isn’t as comprehensive or accurate as a smartwatch. Performance may improve with updates.
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Design and Build Quality7
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Wearable App features8
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Sleep Tracking7
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Fitness Tracking6
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Battery life8
