Samsung unveils Galaxy Ring as a way to ‘simplify everyday life’

After teasing it (again) yesterday, Samsung has finally done it it shows Galaxy Ring in physical form at the Mobile World Conference (MWC 2024) and revealed some additional details. The device is of course focused on health and wellness and will be available in three colors, platinum silver, gold and ceramic black. It is due to go on sale later this year.

Samsung didn’t say much about the Galaxy Ring when it first showed off a render of the device in Unpacked last month. All we knew at the time was that it would be a wellness-oriented wearable positioned to rival the Oura, and that it would have an array of unknown sensors.

Journalists weren’t allowed to photograph it today, but some additional images from Samsung show it’s a chunky, concave ring roughly the same size as the Oura, according to the provided image (below). The extra girth isn’t surprising given the electronics stored inside.

Still, On the edge noted that it’s lighter than expected and will be available in sizes 5 to 13, marked S to XL inside the band. Battery size (and therefore time between charges) will vary by size, ranging from 14.5mAh to 21.5mAh. Battery life is unknown, but the Oura can last up to seven days between charges.

According to a blog by Samsung Vice President Dr. Hong Pak, the ring will track sleep based on heart rate, movement, and breathing, then provide advice to users based on that. The company will also collect data from partner Natural Cycles, which already does fertility tracking on the Galaxy Watch, matching a key feature of Oura.

The Galaxy Ring will also offer a new tool called My Vitality Score, which measures alertness so users can see if they’re at their best. Feedback will be available via ‘Booster Cards’, which offer science-based advice using sleep and other data collected by the device.

The Galaxy Ring will be part of the Samsung Health ecosystem and will be compatible with the Galaxy Watch. This means you will be able to use both devices at the same time to track your health and get higher quality data as a result. However, the advantage of wearing a ring is that it is much less annoying to sleep with it on.

We’ll learn more in the coming months, including the exact sensor package, pricing and on-sale date. The Galaxy Ring will only be compatible with Samsung Galaxy phones, though the company plans to make it work with other Android devices later. iOS compatibility is still to be determined, Pak said.