Like most fitness Samsung’s Galaxy Ring has been positioned as a minimalist health device for people who don’t want the beeps and buzzes of a smartwatch or wrist-worn fitness tracker. But that’s only part of its appeal. Its real appeal is that it’s a complementary wearable if you’re looking for a smartwatch that’s easy to use and easy to wear. already I have a Galaxy Watch and a Galaxy phone.
When I received my test device, I immediately charged it up and added it to Samsung’s Health app, where it joined my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. You can choose to send battery-hungry tasks to either the watch or the ring to save battery life on one or the other. I delegated heart rate monitoring to the watch, and after two days, the ring’s battery life was still at 97 percent.
I can’t think of any other device that works together so seamlessly to achieve such an immediate and measurable improvement. I compared the Ring’s measurements to an Apple Watch Ultra, which I’ll talk about later, but after a few days I switched back to the Galaxy Watch. That’s what the Ring is made for, so this is the most suitable testing scenario.
Put it in a box
Even from the first unboxing, the Galaxy Ring compares favorably to the Oura Ring. It comes in an awesome clear charging case with a USB-C connector that closes with a lid. I love this lid. You wouldn’t believe how often I manage to get the Oura Ring off its charger when it’s sitting on my desk. You can also check the battery level by placing the Ring on the charger. An LED around the perimeter shows the Ring’s battery level, unlike the Oura, whose light only shows whether the battery is full or not.
Photography: Adrienne So
The ring is titanium and comes in three finishes; I tried the titanium silver one. Samsung has a sizing guide that matches that of other fitness-tracking rings, as I was assigned my usual size, an 8. Like most other rings of this type, it has a number of sensors inside; a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor with three LEDs to track changes in blood volume, an accelerometer, and a skin temperature sensor.
I can’t feel any of these sensors when I wear the ring. No mind I’m using the Oura Ring, but the Galaxy Ring is over a gram lighter and is noticeably thinner and lighter. As a bonus, you can go into your Health app on your Samsung phone and click Find My Ring and the LEDs will start flashing. You can’t see them in daylight, but at least the company has acknowledged that one of the major problems with smart rings is how often they get lost. I still take mine off without thinking to wash dishes, lift something heavy, or play the violin. It’s also 10 ATM and IP68 rated, and I’ve left it on while swimming and paddle boarding with my kids.
Battery life depends on how many tasks you want to delegate to your watch. If I’m wearing my Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Ring lasts over a week. Without it, I was lasting between three and five days of continuous tracking.
In the period
The Galaxy Ring measures a fairly similar set of metrics to the Oura Ring. For example, it offers an Energy Score, which is similar to Oura’s Readiness Score in that it takes into account a number of factors, such as sleep timing and consistency and activity from the previous day, and spits out an easy-to-understand number to show you how ready you are to take on the day.
To do this, it tracks your sleep. You can click into the Samsung Health app to check your sleep stages, including how long you’ve been awake, your blood oxygen level, and whether you’re snoring. It typically logs more sleep time than my Apple Watch Ultra — I guess it’s easier for the watch to tell that I’m reading in bed rather than sleeping when I have my Kindle close to my face.