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While Apple was developing an ultra-premium mixed reality headset, Samsung was busy working on its first connected ring. The highly anticipated Galaxy Ring became a reality in early July.
The choice of such a product is not insignificant. According to the latest study, the connected ring market is set to grow rapidly with sales volumes increasing six or seven times to reach $757 million in 2030. However, for the time being, no major tech player has embarked on this adventure.
Samsung therefore has a clear path ahead of it to establish itself as a benchmark in the field. On one condition, however (and not the least): that its ring is technically successful.
The Korean company doesn't seem afraid and even allows itself to offer its first Galaxy Ring at 450 euros, a price never seen before on this market. Suffice to say that Samsung has no right to make a mistake.
So, what is this Galaxy Ring worth on a daily basis ? To find out, I wore it for almost 30 days. I wore it day and night, in all weathers, for all my activities. Here's what I thought of it.
Its design
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Used to wearing rings of all kinds, I was struck by the manufacturing quality of the Galaxy Ring. My good impressions began when I discovered the white and transparent case. A magnificent case that serves as a charger (I'll come back to that) with the right amount of LEDs to indicate the battery level of the ring.
I was then pleasantly surprised by the featherweight (2.3 g) of the Galaxy Ring. This great lightness is made possible by the use of titanium. Already adopted on the brand's latest high-end models, this material has interesting characteristics for this type of product: in addition to being light, it is very solid (in theory).
The Galaxy Ring is also surprisingly thin for a connected ring. Its 7 mm width and 2.6 mm thickness make it as discreet as it is comfortable. Inside, the various sensors, surrounded by plastic protection, are forgotten. We could just criticize them for being too bright at night.
Finally, its concave design gives it that touch of originality that is still missing on the market. The Galaxy Ring is therefore a little technological gem that perfectly fulfills its role as a discreet connected object, which we forget about on a daily basis.
Its autonomy and its charging case
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This is one of the major advantages of connected objects without a screen: their battery life can reach record levels. On its official website, Samsung promises seven days of use with the largest sizes and six days with the smallest. In reality, I averaged six days with a size 11 model (one of the largest).
On a daily basis, not having to worry about the battery life of a health tracking device is a luxury that I would have a hard time doing without. For comparison, I was wearing the Galaxy Watch 7 at the same time, which does not last more than a day and a half of use. A weak point that is found on most smartwatches.
And compared to other smart rings? Samsung remains in the average of what can be found on the market. On the other hand, as I explained above, the Korean stands out with its small transparent case for storing and recharging the ring.
For once, Samsung is going strong. Not only is this case sublime, but it also allows you to recharge the ring three times without being plugged in, like a pair of wireless headphones. From memory, I haven't seen this with any competitor.
Since the ring's battery is tiny, it can be fully recharged in just a few minutes. In order not to interfere with my sleep tracking, I opted for weekly recharges, the time it takes to shower. Simple, effective.
Samsung Health
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When I first used the ring, I had to install the Samsung Wear app, which is available on any Android device. Without it, I couldn't set up the Ring.
Samsung Wear therefore allows you to track the general condition of the ring, to update it but also to track sleep data, heart rate and energy score.
But our dear Samsung, always quick to simplify things, offers a second application to track your health data. Samsung Health (that's its name) allows you to access much more information than Samsung Wear. So I use Wear for the hardware side of the ring, and Health for everything else. Why keep it simple, right??
You think I'm harsh? You're right, because Samsung Health is probably one of the best health/wellness apps that I've ever tested.
First, it allows very precise monitoring of various health data. Number of steps, calories burned, kilometers traveled, heart rate, sleep, stress or even menstrual monitoring: everything is there with precise information, graphs and improvement tips.
To go further, the application also allows you to manually add information to further refine these results. You can indicate which meals you have eaten, the number of glasses of water drunk during the day, blood pressure or even blood sugar.
Special mention for sleep monitoring which, after eight days of use, establishes a profile. Then, each day, the app offers relaxation or breathing exercises to improve the quality of sleep.
Samsung Health is therefore probably the Galaxy Ring's greatest strength. It's a bit paradoxical for an object intended to remain discreet to encourage us to regularly reach for our smartphone. But that's just my opinion…
Daily monitoring
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Samsung was very clear when presenting its ring: the Galaxy Ring opens a new era in monitoring well-being and health. I wish I could say the same after a month of use.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000To track health data, the Ring relies on three sensors: temperature (especially for tracking sleep and menstruation), heart rate, and an accelerometer. Together, these three sensors promise accurate health data tracking.
In reality, daily tracking isn't always accurate. This is primarily due to the positioning of the sensors. On the ring, Samsung indicates with a small raised line where the sensors are positioned. For a good analysis of the data, it is necessary to leave them on the inner part of the finger, towards the palm of the hand.
Problem: throughout the day, the Galaxy Ring rotates. The sensors therefore regularly change position, which disrupts the recording of health data. I noticed this in particular on my sleep monitoring: the ring, which is supposed to detect when I fall asleep, almost systematically indicated an hour difference between my actual falling asleep and the one I observed. As a result, my sleep monitoring was never accurate.
In my eyes, this is probably the Ring's biggest weakness. Its go-anywhere format made it the ideal object for tracking sleep (I don't wear a watch at night). In addition, every morning, Samsung displays an energy score on its Health application. It takes into account sleep data, activity, heart rate and gives ideas to improve one's well-being. Starting with erroneous data, the whole process loses its interest.
Finally, In my opinion, there is too much missing data for the Ring to be really relevant. NFC would have allowed you to pay directly with the ring. A vibrator or speaker would have allowed you to wake up with it or find it if you lost it. The Ring also lacks GPS, which means you have to use your smartphone for many uses. And for athletes, VO2 Max is missing. That's a lot there anyway.
Its solidity
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If the design of the Galaxy Ring grabbed me, I was very quickly surprised by its relative solidity. Although made of titanium (known for its robustness), my model is covered in a black tint. This additional layer was damaged after just two weeks.
More than just micro-scratches, I noticed that the paint was disappearing at a crazy speed, especially at the ends of the ring. However, I was careful not to practice any sport that could damage it. For 450 euros, I expected a lot more in terms of durability.
It's not made for sports
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Despite all my good will, the Ring has never really found its place in my sporting habits. I run several times a week and go to the gym from time to time. During the summer I also play tennis and swim.
For endurance sports like running, swimming or cycling, the Ring does its job well but has one major flaw compared to a watch: the lack of screen prevents me from tracking my performance in real time. However, some information such as heart rate or time per kilometer are essential for most runners.
In my opinion, the Ring will therefore be mainly suitable for athletes who practice sport above all for pleasure and who will be curious to know their performance after their sessions. For others, the watch remains the best training companion.
It is still necessary that their practice is limited to running, cycling or swimming. Because all sports requiring the use of the hands are to be banned, in particular the gym. Samsung's own approach is paradoxical: the manufacturer explains that its ring can detect a hundred sports, including bodybuilding, yet it advises against this practice so as not to damage the Ring.
I did try once to grab a dumbbell with the ring on my finger. An idea that I quickly abandoned because the watch made it so uncomfortable to grab. And that's without mentioning the risk of damaging the black paint. For tennis, the same observation: gripping your racket properly while wearing the ring is almost impossible. Here again, what about the solidity??
Samsung could probably have made the sports experience a little more interesting by integrating, for example, a vibration system for each kilometer traveled. Or even a small speaker that would give the time per kilometer or sound a small beep as soon as a sports activity is detected. Miniaturization processes are certainly the reason for this limitation. But for 450 euros, I have the right to dream a little, right ?
Its use is limited (Samsung products and uses)
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I had the chance to test the Galaxy Ring with a Galaxy Z Fold6 and a Galaxy Z Flip6. So I was able to use the ring to its full potential, with all the features of Galaxy AI, including the famous energy score.
This won't be the case for everyone. For one, the Galaxy Ring is only compatible with Android devices. Not really surprising.
More annoyingly, Galaxy AI features are limited to the two newly released foldable smartphones. Owners of the Galaxy S24 Ultra or Galaxy Z Flip/Fold 5 will have to wait. Too bad, because practical features (like the ability to stop an alarm by pinching two fingers), are planned.
While I understand that Samsung wants to lock its ring into its ecosystem (after all, Apple has been doing it for a long time and no one is upset about it), I have a hard time accepting that the coolest features are reserved for only two models.
After 30 days of using the Galaxy Ring, the results are rather mixed. Elegant and discreet, it stands out above all for its great lightness. Also, it was able to be forgotten on a daily basis. Even a little too much.
The Galaxy Ring lacks too many features to replace a smartwatch. It doesn't really allow you to track your sports activity, it doesn't have any practical everyday features like contactless payment, and it's limited in both the data it collects and the compatible smartphone models.
Fortunately, Samsung Health, offered for free, makes up for it. But it's not enough to justify the 450 euros requested, even if the Korean company doesn't charge for access to its app through a subscription plan. A small consolation compared to the competition.
See you next year for a more successful version ?
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