Samsung Galaxy Ring announced at Unpacked: 5 ways it could beat Oura Ring
Samsung Galaxy Ring got announced at Unpacked, and the wearable space is feeling the competitive squeeze.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring, launched alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 6, and other Samsung products, got announced at the Unpacked event on Wednesday, showcasing a new competitor in the ring wearable space that rivals the Oura Ring.
Samsung teased the Galaxy Ring at the last Unpacked event in January, which also showcased the current-gen Galaxy S24 series. But now, we're getting the full picture of what the Galaxy Ring has to offer.
Samsung Galaxy Ring: Everything you need to know
The Samsung Galaxy Ring has a price tag of $399.99 and comes in three finishes: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold. The first two offer a matte finish, but Titanium Gold has a glossy look.
Samsung boasts that the Galaxy Ring sports a unique, concave design, which makes it more scratch resistant (as opposed to a ring with a flatter surface). It's reportedly comfortable enough for a pleasant sleep throughout the night.
It comes in nine sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. (Upon purchase, Samsung will send you a sizing kit, which features plastic moldings of each size so you can determine which one is the best fit for you.)
It's also super light with a weight of just 3 grams, roughly the same weight as a penny. For reference, the Oura Ring weighs somewhere between 4 and 6 grams, depending on size.
Health tracking
The Galaxy Ring will track and record the following:
sleep
physical capacity and activity
heart rate
menstrual cycle
steps
stress
medication
blood-oxygen level
food-and-water intake
Energy Score, a Galaxy AI-powered perk, is one way some of this data will be analyzed.
This feature, via the Samsung Health app, generates a score from 1 to 100. An example Samsung provided to Mashable is a score of 92, which is excellent. This score will be accompanied with visual information (e.g., a colorful progress indicator) that illustrates how one got that figure. You will also get a short summary. For example, someone with a score of 92 may get a message that says, "Well rested! You've been getting adequate amount of sleep lately. Well done. Sticking to this routine will have a positive impact on your physical and mental health."
As you gather more data, the Wellness Tips feature will give you recommendations on how you can improve your health. For example, Wellness Tips can see if you've been struggling to fall asleep, which will prompt it to recommend meditation sessions for more restful nights.
In-depth sleep monitoring
Speaking of sleep, there's also a Sleep Score Indicator, giving you comprehensive insights into the following:
sleep latency
time in bed
nighttime movement
heart rate
respiratory behavior
It's also worth noting that the Galaxy Ring issues real-time alerts on your phone for high or low heart rates. You'll also get an alert if you've been inactive for too long. There's also an automatic workout detection for walking and running, but you'll have to turn this on manually (it's not on by default.)
Find it if you lose it
Similar to Apple's Find My technology, Galaxy Ring features a perk called "Samsung Find," which lets you find your misplaced wearable. It will light up in red and green to help you find it. While the Oura Ring offers a similar feature, it's only for iOS users, leaving Samsung owners in the lurch. Conversely, it appears that "Samsung Find" is only for Android users.
5 ways Samsung Galaxy Ring beats Oura Ring
The most prominent competitor for the Samsung Galaxy Ring is Oura Ring. Here are some features it has that, at first glance, beats the Oura Ring.
1. No subscription required
Unlike the Oura Ring, which requires a $6-per-month subscription to get in-depth analysis on data such as sleep and heart rate, the Galaxy Ring does not require a monthly subscription.
2. Larger sizing range
As mentioned, the Galaxy Ring offers nine size options. The Oura Ring only offers eight, leaving size 5 users out of the fun.
3. More scratch resistant
The Samsung Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring both have water resistance. You can submerge it underwater for up to 330 feet. However, Samsung claims that the Galaxy Ring is scratch resistant. Oura says that its ring can be prone to scratching, so it recommends wearing the Oura Ring on your non-dominant hand to reduce scratch risk.
4. More AI-powered features
Galaxy AI made its debut in Samsung's January Unpacked 2024 event, landing in devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 series first before launching on some previous models. Galaxy AI will power health tracking on the Galaxy Ring, ensuring more personalized analysis.
The Oura Ring, according to an interview the CEO had with Tom's Guide, utilizes AI, too, but it’s more for tracking your mood in the journal feature and using text-to-speech transcription. Plus, Oura recently announced a new AI advisor feature. But again, the Galaxy Ring is far more entrenched in AI-powered utilities.
5. Control your Samsung device
With the Galaxy Ring, you can use gestures, like double pinching, to take pictures, record videos, and snooze alarms on supported Galaxy devices.
It's also worth noting that Samsung unleashed two new wearables that complement the Galaxy Ring: the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. If you choose to wear a Galaxy Ring and a Galaxy Watch, Samsung Health will use the data from the device that delivers the most accurate measurement. As such, wearing both should give you more spot-on tracking.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch is available for preorder as of July 10.
