The device offers accurate fitness tracking and detailed sleep monitoring, but it’s expensive and only compatible with Android.
There must be something about smart rings that makes them so popular with people like the athlete Shaquille O’Neal, Prince Harry of England, and the founder of Google, Larry Page. They opted for Oura, an accessory with years of experience . Now Samsung is showing off and wants to compete with its first smart ring: the Galaxy Ring.
EL PAÍS has tested this jewel for a few days, which in addition to monitoring all kinds of vital signs, stands out against many smart watches because it almost reaches a week of autonomy. Although it is a ring that fulfills its purpose and has great potential, it is only available for users with an Android phone and still has room for improvement. These are its pros and cons.
The best
- A custom made ring
When Cinderella lost one of her glass slippers on the palace stairs, the prince ordered his royal advisors to go from house to house trying it on all the young girls in the kingdom. Getting your first taste of the Galaxy Ring feels a bit like being one of those young girls. In this case, there is no shoe and no prince. But there is a delivery man who shows up at your house so you can try on several rings.
It comes with a free trial kit with nine plastic rings of different sizes. The first step is to choose the one that best fits. The ring is made of titanium, has an elegant finish and is available in three colors: gold, silver and black.
- A look at your health
The device tracks how much you move – steps, minutes and calories – as well as your heart rate and sleep. It records both the hours you sleep and your body temperature, blood oxygen levels and sleep stages. In addition, Samsung has created a metric called the energy score.
It is calculated by analyzing your sleep, activity and heart rate. “It helps you know when your body needs a break and helps you find the right balance between activity and rest,” he says.
The score ranges from 0 to 100 and can be excellent, good, average or needs attention. The ring measurements can be checked on your mobile phone, are quite accurate and are accompanied by visually appealing graphics.
- A battery to fall in love with
One of the Galaxy Ring’s strong points over smartwatches from tech giants like Samsung or Apple is its battery life. Once you get used to a battery that lasts just over a day, not having to worry about charging the ring for six or seven days is a real luxury.
However, Samsung’s goal with this ring is not to dethrone smartwatches. There is one big difference between these devices: the ring is much simpler, it doesn’t tell the time or display notifications, and it lacks some advanced features like performing electrocardiograms.
- A premium charging case
Some smart rings like Oura have a charging dock to recharge the battery . Samsung’s option for charging the Galaxy Ring is more convenient — also for carrying the ring — and aesthetically pleasing. It’s a transparent charging case with a premium finish. When you place the ring inside, a circular LED indicator shows the charge level. The battery is fully recharged in an hour and a half.
Worst
- A device that could be more comfortable
The Samsung Galaxy Ring costs 449 Euros. In addition to being expensive, it suffers from the same problems as other smart rings. It is a big ring and it shows. It measures 7 millimetres wide and 2.6 millimetres thick. Samsung recommends wearing it on the index finger, but assures that it works on other fingers too.
“Whether you are typing on a keyboard, cooking or even sleeping, the slim form factor of the Galaxy Ring and its lightweight titanium structure are so comfortable that you will forget it is there,” says Samsung. For some people, this is true.
But if you are getting used to wearing thin and much smaller rings, the Galaxy Ring bumps into other fingers and it is difficult to forget that it is ‘there’. Nevertheless, with its weight of 2.3 grams, it is a light ring.
- A discotheque on your finger
Sometimes wearing this ring feels like running a disco on your finger. The Galaxy Ring has three sensors that Samsung recommends you place on the underside of your finger. It’s easy to tell where they are, because it’s indicated by a small line on the outside of the ring.
This mark is on the inside of your palm, so it doesn’t draw attention. The sensors have lights that flash on and off. During the day, they go completely unnoticed.
However, in dark environments like at the cinema or lying in bed at night, it’s easy to notice your finger lighting up with green and red flashes.
- A somewhat inaccurate blood oxygen measurement
In tests conducted by this newspaper, blood oxygen data has occasionally been a bit inaccurate. A normal oxygen saturation level ranges from 95% to 100%, according to MedlinePlus , the National Library of Medicine. “Contact your health care professional if your oxygen saturation level is 92% or less.
If it drops to 88% or less, seek immediate medical attention,” the agency says. In tests conducted by this newspaper, it has occasionally reached 83%. It is important to note that the Galaxy Ring is not a medical device.
Samsung knows this: “Please note that blood oxygen monitoring is only intended to monitor your fitness and well-being, and not for the diagnosis or treatment of any disease.”
- Compatibility and repairability
Bad news for iPhone users. The Galaxy Ring is only compatible with phones running Android 11.0 or higher and with at least 1.5GB of storage, and there are some features — such as taking a photo with your phone by pinching your fingers — that are only available on select Samsung phones.
Plus, if the ring’s battery life deteriorates in the future, you can’t just replace the battery. The same goes for if it gets scratched or damaged: you can’t just replace the outside of the ring. As Samsung notes, “you can’t replace the Galaxy Ring’s components.” That means you’d have to buy a whole new ring.
