Samsung's Galaxy Ring could sweep the competition

At first glance, the ring is nice, compact, but not too different from other smart rings on the market. In the initial phase, it will be available in three colors: gold, silver and black. All of them are built from titanium, but it is still difficult to judge how durable it is at the moment. So far, the Galaxy Ring is known to have 10ATM water resistance and IP68 certification.

During the test by The Verge portal, they found that the Samsung device is slightly more comfortable than the Oura Ring, which could be due to the slightly concave shape. Otherwise, the Galaxy Ring is 7 millimeters wide and 2.6 millimeters thick. With a weight between 2.3 and 3.0 grams, depending on the size, it is a light device, but it is not significantly lighter than other competitors. As for sizes, there are 9 available, from sizes 5 to 13.

While the Galaxy Ring doesn't stand out from the rest, as we can see in the video, the important difference is the charging box, which in the case of Samsung's device is futuristically seduced. We can see the transparent design and LED lighting. Not only does it look beautiful, the design is very practical. Some of the other rings, such as the Oura Ring and the Ultrahuman Ring Air, have a charging box in this area that can be easily lost. Samsung's patent can easily be carried with us if we run out of battery somewhere on the way. The full charge time is around 80 minutes, and the ring lasts six to seven days with one charge.

In the image below, we can also see a size comparison tool. However, if you know your ring size, it may vary and it is recommended to use the kit below. The exact size of the ring is also important for battery life. The smaller rings (sizes 5 to 11) last six days on a single charge, while the larger ones last up to seven.

As for the technology used in the device, Samsung sticks to established and proven things. Like the Oura Ring and the vast majority of smart rings currently available, Samsung's is primarily intended as an alternative and more discreet option for a wearable device. If you happened to be expecting notifications or silent alarms like some of its predecessors, you'll be a little disappointed. There are no vibrations, LED indicators or anything like that. Sensors include an optical heart rate monitor, an accelerometer and a body temperature sensor. So we can expect monitoring of sleep, heart rate and activity. It is also worth noting that Samsung is preparing new metrics that will try to raise the user experience to a higher level with artificial intelligence.

Med glavne UI lastnosti spadata “Energy Score” in “Wellness Tips”. Slednja z uporabo Galaxy AI spremlja počutje uporabnika na podlagu spanja, aktivnosti, srčnega utripa v času spanja in variabilnosti utripa. Gre za podobno lastnost drugim merilnikom aktivnosti, ki se je v napravah pojavila v zadnjih letih. Glede na vse zbrane podatke uporabnik dobi personalizirane vpoglede v počutje, kar je spet nekaj podobnega kot recimo pri prstanu Oura Ring in ostalih konkurentih. Ostale lastnosti na področju zdravja vključujejo “trackanje” kolesarjenja, alarme skrajnih vrednosti srčnega utripa, avtomatsko zaznavanje vadb in alarme ob daljši neaktivnosti.

Podobno kot ostali pametni prstani je tudi Samsung dal velik poudarek na spanje. Uporabniki bodo tako dobili povzetek metrik v obliki “rezultata spanja”, ki zaobjema metrike, kot na primer premikanje v času spanja, dihanje, srčni utrip ipd. Kljub temu, da so pametni prstani idealni za spremljanje kvalitete spanja, Galaxy Ring ne bo dobil FDA odobritev za detektiranje spalne apneje. Prav tako prstan ne zazna nepravilnosti v delovanju srca. To je zaenkrat omejeno na pametne ure Galaxy Watch.

Zdaj pa slaba novica za iOS uporabnike. Višji produktni vodja pri Samsung Electronics America, Jeffrey Kim, je za portal The Verge povedal, da je ta prstan kompatibilen samo z Androidom. Izpostaviti pa velja še to, da bo uporabniška izkušnja najboljša znotraj Samsungovega ekosistema. Recimo prej omenjena lastnost “Energy Score” bo na voljo zgolj na Galaxy telefonih. Enako velja za funkcionalnost “Find My Ring”. Če uporabnik nosi tako Samsung Galaxy Watch kot Galaxy Ring hkrati, bo aplikacija Samsung Health lahko zaznala in izbrala iz katere naprave bo vzela podatke. Če uporabnik teče in je signal iz ure bolj jasen, potem bo aplikacija procesirala podatke ure. Posledično to prinaša prihranek energije za prstan.

Despite the limited time with the device, The Verge's test showed some very interesting things. The hardware part of the device is of good quality and despite the slightly higher price, Samsung did not decide on an additional subscription, as is the case with Oura. It seems that the success of the smart ring will largely depend on two factors: the accuracy of the measurements and the durability of the battery. If Samsung can pull this off while delivering what it promises in terms of specific ideas related to the ecosystem, it could very well take the lead in the smart ring category. If not, it still showed the ambitions and the direction in which the development of the devices could go.