On July 10, Samsung officially joined the smart ring race by launching the eagerly awaited Galaxy Ring. The company touts its new petite fitness tracker as the “best for 24/7 wear.” However, on the same day, we also got a new Galaxy Watch 7 and a Galaxy Watch Ultra, suggesting there’s still reason to make room on our wrists for Samsung as well. To find out if it’s worth managing two devices at once, I went double-duty and wore both the ring and Ultra simultaneously to test out the two devices’ integration. My final verdict: The pairing is great in theory but needs refinement to be worth hitting checkout on two pricey wearables at the same time.

Consolidated Ring + Watch data

Flying in the face of Apple, whose smart ring rumors have yet to bear fruit, Samsung introduced a unique prospect to its ecosystem by launching a ring that can be used in sync with its smartwatches. We’ve seen this relationship from Amazfit, which also boasts both watches and a smart ring, but Samsung is the first truly household name to venture into the realm of a mixed portfolio. The pitch is that shoppers with both form factors can use the devices simultaneously or separately, and all of their health and fitness tracking data is automatically consolidated in the Samsung Health app.

Data from both devices is automatically synced in the Samsung Health app.

This matters because smart rings are still relatively limited in their feature sets compared to watches. The Galaxy Ring tracks core metrics such as sleep heart rate, heart rate variability, and steps, supports cycle tracking based on skin temperature, and offers auto-workout detection for walks and runs. However, it can’t possibly pack the same range of sensors as Samsung’s wrist-based wearables. For ECG recordings or the BIA sensors, for example, I have to strap on my Galaxy Watch. I could also never rely on a ring for detailed fitness tracking.

For starters, it doesn’t boast multi-band GNSS, so it doesn’t track my outdoor runs or hikes. Without a display, wearing the ring for workouts means I can’t reference live stats (aka my palpitating heart rate) or tap into the company’s new Race feature. Since competing against the ghost of my last run is probably the only time I’ll ever win a race, this just wouldn’t do. In other words, there are simply times when a watch is best. Smart rings can’t yet offer as well-rounded of an experience for data junkies.

I love the option for a subtle tracker when the situation calls for it, but a powerful fitness companion for workouts.

In this regard, I love the idea of a dual-device existence. Throughout the week, I wore the ring at almost all times because I genuinely forgot it was there. Meanwhile, my watch use became more intentional. I strapped it on for workouts and wore it most of the time, but I didn’t feel tied to it if the battery got low or if I wanted to go out in public without a bright orange accessory.

When I did tap into the watch’s potential, I appreciated the tools I typically take for granted. I liked having my weather app accessible on the way to the beach, and texting that I was going to be late to the friends waiting at said beach. When I got there, I liked tossing my watch in my bag to avoid adding to the truly insane tan line I’ve acquired as a wearables reviewer. With the ring on hand as a backup tracker, I don’t have to choose between data and an even skin tone.

Comfort when it counts

With all of that said, not everyone cares about capturing every last metric. There are plenty of other reasons to wear the Galaxy Ring, including its unobtrusive build and passive tracking experience. Measuring just 7mm wide and weighing less than 3g, the ring features a jewelry-inspired design that blends right into my day-to-day look. This is in complete contrast to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, with its bulky form factor and bright orange detailing. Plus, the Ring is fortunately only dainty in looks, as it features an IP68 durability rating and 10ATM water resistance, so it stood up fine to my everyday activity. Most importantly, though, it’s comfortable and easy to forget about entirely (after a few days of growing used to it).

This comfort and subtleness offer twofold benefits. First, it can be worn in a variety of scenarios that might feel inappropriate for a smartwatch. A sporty, wrist-based wearable doesn’t exactly vibe with a wedding guest cocktail dress, but a smart ring will go virtually unnoticed. During this test period, I wore mine to multiple social outings of varying dress codes, as well as to a doctor’s appointment where I normally avoid wearing conversation starters like a new wearable.

The Galaxy Ring should be the perfect companion for sleep tracking, but it needs fine-tuning first.

Second, a smart ring facilitates an extremely comfortable sleep-tracking experience. Rather than worrying about the weight of your watch or the potential of a bright screen waking you up, you can fall asleep with just a ring on your finger and wake up to helpful stats. That is, uh, usually. On paper, I adore the option to wear my Galaxy Ring to bed and let my Galaxy Watch charge overnight so it’s ready to track my morning workout. In reality, I’ve yet to see the sleep-tracking accuracy I want from Samsung’s ecosystem on either device I wore this week.

Compared to my Oura Ring, for example, the ring provided inconsistent data and highly optimistic sleep scores. It also failed to align with my Withings ScanWatch 2, Withings sleep tracking mattress pad, or my Apple Watch Ultra, all of which aligned closely. This is perhaps the biggest disappointment I have regarding the Ring+Watch relationship. What should be a major strength (overnight use) of the Galaxy Ring isn’t accurate enough to justify its purchase, especially in addition to another wearable. Instead, its bedtime benefits are limited to its role in making charging more convenient for my watch.

Better battery for all

On a more positive note, wearing both a Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch doesn’t just make charging more convenient (though it definitely does!). It also extends the potential battery life of your devices. When you have both in use, Samsung Health will automatically recognize the overlap and use only the optimal measurements from each. This process disables some sensors on the ring, which can extend its battery life up to 30%. In my experience, this is a fairly accurate claim. When testing the ring alone, I hit just over four days of use before needing to top up. When using the ring and watch simultaneously, I made it to roughly six days.

Using both the watch and ring helps stretch battery life and creates convenient charging opportunities.

These specs are without taking the ring off at all and solely relying on Samsung’s automatic prioritization. Users could also always charge their ring during workouts when they know they are going to rely on their wrist-based data instead. For me, this would make the most sense during activities that are not conducive to finger accessories anyway, like weight lifting or rowing. Since it is uncomfortable to wear a smart ring during those activities, I can see throwing the device on its charger while my Ultra flies solo. I didn’t test this during the week because I was eager to see how the ring would last without any breaks, but it’s a practice I would definitely adopt going forward.

tldr;

The short story is that dual-device wearing has some perks but may not be for everyone.

• Buy the Galaxy Ring and Watch together if charging schedules give you anxiety, or if you frequently go from sweat sessions to formal affairs and need a subtle tracker as often as you need a dedicated workout tool.
• Don’t buy the Galaxy Ring and Watch if you’re comfortable tracking Zs in the latter, your priority is detailed wellness stats, and your go-to workouts include weights, bars, and handled exercise machines.

There are many obvious benefits to wearing a finger-based fitness tracker, which explains why shoppers have clamored for the Samsung Galaxy Ring. However, fingers are high-contact body parts. From grabbing to pushing to pulling and lifting, it’s hard to protect smart rings from potentially damaging interactions.

I’m no Olympian, but I do foray into various fitness activities, and in my months of testing the Samsung Galaxy Ring, Oura Ring, and other smart rings, I’ve discovered that there are specific exercises that I can’t do or would rather not do while wearing them. Here they are, in no particular order, and I hope that this list helps you decide whether a smart ring is a good fit for your exercise tracking or not.

• Weightlifting: Across the web, weightlifting is the most commonly referred-to example of a workout that is best done without a smart ring. Samsung specifically warns Galaxy Ring users against wearing their ring while using machines that equip “hard bar-like objects such as weights, dumbbells, or iron bars” and cites the possibility of injury or damage to the device. In my experience, it simply hurts, and that’s enough reason to take the ring off. I also wouldn’t recommend attempting pull-ups with a ring on hand.
• Rowing: Likewise, I find machines with handlebars uncomfortable to use while wearing a smart ring. Though I doubt that a rower would damage the ring, it does pinch my skin and eventually dig into my fingers painfully. I have not felt the same discomfort on an elliptical, as you don’t need to hold the handles nearly as tight. The stair machine has also been fine, even though I often end up holding on to the handlebar for dear life by the end of my workout.
• Swimming: Both the Galaxy and Oura ring are water resistant up to 100 meters, so you can safely clock laps with either device. However, even after using both brands’ sizing kits and choosing the appropriate fits for my fingers, each has a tendency to feel precariously loose underwater. When I tried swimming with my Oura Ring 3, I spent more strokes worried about it slipping off my finger than focusing on my form or breathing. My colleague Rita feels the same way. So, while I can technically swim with a smart ring, the fear of getting done with a grueling workout only to realize I need to scour the bottom of a pool for my $300 tracker is enough to rule out this activity for me. And let’s not even talk about open-water swimming — that’s a big no.
• Surfing: For similar reasons, I also remove my smart rings for surfing. If I might lose my ring doing the backstroke in a pool, I will definitely lose it tumbling beneath a white cap. The odds of recovering it from the bottom of the blue are extremely slim. I personally wouldn’t even wear a smart ring for snorkeling or casually swimming at the beach, but again, how your ring fits will impact your own comfort level. Both Samsung and Oura rings are safe for use in salt water, though it’s recommended to rinse the device with clean water afterward.
• Stand Up Paddling (SUP): SUP has the double whammy potential of being extremely uncomfortable to do with a smart ring and also being a horrible way to lose your device in a body of water. (Even if you have great balance, the best part of paddle boarding is tipping your companions and inevitably ending up submerged as well.) Long before those shenanigans, though, my hands blister almost every time I go out, and that’s without introducing a bulky metal component on my index finger. The carbon-fiber paddle can also ding or scratch the finish of a smart ring in a similar manner to weights.
• Tennis: During the COVID-19 pandemic, I got wildly into the idea that I could learn to play tennis and have a lifelong hobby to share with my partner. It turns out he’s a really good player, and I’m really good at annoying strangers when I shank six serves in a row into their neighboring courts. Nonetheless, we still play often, and slipping my smart ring off my finger and into my racket bag is part of the routine. Any exercise that includes gripping a handle and bracing for impact isn’t especially conducive to wearing a titanium bangle on your finger. Smart rings are fine for pickleball which is mostly one-handed, as long as you wear your device on your non-dominant hand.
• Lacrosse: I know this is a niche sport, and the no-smart-ring reasoning is repetitive, but I love lacrosse so much that it deserves its own spot on this list. Like other handle-involving sports, lacrosse is significantly less comfortable with a smart ring on and can definitely lead to damaging the ring.
• Boxing: To be totally transparent, I tried boxing once, and as soon as I was lightly tapped in the face, I realized it was not the sport for me. I have, however, occasionally taken boxing classes (because bags don’t hit back), and while some smart ring users claim it’s perfectly fine to wear rings under a boxing mitt, this has not been my experience.

Beyond exercise

Personally, I also remove my smart ring when showering and doing the dishes. According to the manufacturers, this isn’t necessary, but I find both tasks more comfortable with naked hands. I also remove my ring when prepping certain foods. Rolling meatballs and hand-mixing cookie dough are two that come to mind immediately. I don’t make bread, but I watch The Great British Baking Show, and I imagine I’d take my ring off to knead dough if ever a contestant.

Some users report removing their smart ring for yard work, such as lawn mowing or gardening with a shovel. I can imagine how these chores might be uncomfortable depending on your grip and the boniness of your finger. Meanwhile, Samsung warns users that their Galaxy Ring might not work properly in close proximity to magnets. Both Oura and Samsung advise users not to wear their smart ring on the same finger or adjacent to fingers with other metal rings. Oura claims their devices are safe for saunas, hot tubs, ice baths, and cryotherapy tanks. Samsung issues more conservative warnings and urges Galaxy Ring users not to “expose it to sudden temperature changes in environments such as saunas and steam rooms.”

In other words, there are many scenarios to consider when trying to keep your smart ring safe from damage — and your hands safe from pain. Depending on your preferred workouts, it’s worth thinking through a ring’s limitations before investing in one.

There are many obvious benefits to wearing a finger-based fitness tracker, which explains why shoppers have clamored for the Samsung Galaxy Ring. However, fingers are high-contact body parts. From grabbing to pushing to pulling and lifting, it’s hard to protect smart rings from potentially damaging interactions.

I’m no Olympian, but I do foray into various fitness activities, and in my months of testing the Samsung Galaxy Ring, Oura Ring, and other smart rings, I’ve discovered that there are specific exercises that I can’t do or would rather not do while wearing them. Here they are, in no particular order, and I hope that this list helps you decide whether a smart ring is a good fit for your exercise tracking or not.

• Weightlifting: Across the web, weightlifting is the most commonly referred-to example of a workout that is best done without a smart ring. Samsung specifically warns Galaxy Ring users against wearing their ring while using machines that equip “hard bar-like objects such as weights, dumbbells, or iron bars” and cites the possibility of injury or damage to the device. In my experience, it simply hurts, and that’s enough reason to take the ring off. I also wouldn’t recommend attempting pull-ups with a ring on hand.
• Rowing: Likewise, I find machines with handlebars uncomfortable to use while wearing a smart ring. Though I doubt that a rower would damage the ring, it does pinch my skin and eventually dig into my fingers painfully. I have not felt the same discomfort on an elliptical, as you don’t need to hold the handles nearly as tight. The stair machine has also been fine, even though I often end up holding on to the handlebar for dear life by the end of my workout.
• Swimming: Both the Galaxy and Oura ring are water resistant up to 100 meters, so you can safely clock laps with either device. However, even after using both brands’ sizing kits and choosing the appropriate fits for my fingers, each has a tendency to feel precariously loose underwater. When I tried swimming with my Oura Ring 3, I spent more strokes worried about it slipping off my finger than focusing on my form or breathing. My colleague Rita feels the same way. So, while I can technically swim with a smart ring, the fear of getting done with a grueling workout only to realize I need to scour the bottom of a pool for my $300 tracker is enough to rule out this activity for me. And let’s not even talk about open-water swimming — that’s a big no.
• Surfing: For similar reasons, I also remove my smart rings for surfing. If I might lose my ring doing the backstroke in a pool, I will definitely lose it tumbling beneath a white cap. The odds of recovering it from the bottom of the blue are extremely slim. I personally wouldn’t even wear a smart ring for snorkeling or casually swimming at the beach, but again, how your ring fits will impact your own comfort level. Both Samsung and Oura rings are safe for use in salt water, though it’s recommended to rinse the device with clean water afterward.
• Stand Up Paddling (SUP): SUP has the double whammy potential of being extremely uncomfortable to do with a smart ring and also being a horrible way to lose your device in a body of water. (Even if you have great balance, the best part of paddle boarding is tipping your companions and inevitably ending up submerged as well.) Long before those shenanigans, though, my hands blister almost every time I go out, and that’s without introducing a bulky metal component on my index finger. The carbon-fiber paddle can also ding or scratch the finish of a smart ring in a similar manner to weights.
• Tennis: During the COVID-19 pandemic, I got wildly into the idea that I could learn to play tennis and have a lifelong hobby to share with my partner. It turns out he’s a really good player, and I’m really good at annoying strangers when I shank six serves in a row into their neighboring courts. Nonetheless, we still play often, and slipping my smart ring off my finger and into my racket bag is part of the routine. Any exercise that includes gripping a handle and bracing for impact isn’t especially conducive to wearing a titanium bangle on your finger. Smart rings are fine for pickleball which is mostly one-handed, as long as you wear your device on your non-dominant hand.
• Lacrosse: I know this is a niche sport, and the no-smart-ring reasoning is repetitive, but I love lacrosse so much that it deserves its own spot on this list. Like other handle-involving sports, lacrosse is significantly less comfortable with a smart ring on and can definitely lead to damaging the ring.
• Boxing: To be totally transparent, I tried boxing once, and as soon as I was lightly tapped in the face, I realized it was not the sport for me. I have, however, occasionally taken boxing classes (because bags don’t hit back), and while some smart ring users claim it’s perfectly fine to wear rings under a boxing mitt, this has not been my experience.

Beyond exercise

Personally, I also remove my smart ring when showering and doing the dishes. According to the manufacturers, this isn’t necessary, but I find both tasks more comfortable with naked hands. I also remove my ring when prepping certain foods. Rolling meatballs and hand-mixing cookie dough are two that come to mind immediately. I don’t make bread, but I watch The Great British Baking Show, and I imagine I’d take my ring off to knead dough if ever a contestant.

Some users report removing their smart ring for yard work, such as lawn mowing or gardening with a shovel. I can imagine how these chores might be uncomfortable depending on your grip and the boniness of your finger. Meanwhile, Samsung warns users that their Galaxy Ring might not work properly in close proximity to magnets. Both Oura and Samsung advise users not to wear their smart ring on the same finger or adjacent to fingers with other metal rings. Oura claims their devices are safe for saunas, hot tubs, ice baths, and cryotherapy tanks. Samsung issues more conservative warnings and urges Galaxy Ring users not to “expose it to sudden temperature changes in environments such as saunas and steam rooms.”

In other words, there are many scenarios to consider when trying to keep your smart ring safe from damage — and your hands safe from pain. Depending on your preferred workouts, it’s worth thinking through a ring’s limitations before investing in one.

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While you wait for the launch of Samsung’s highly anticipated Galaxy Ring, we have some news to help tide you over. It appears the smart ring could have some loss prevention and security features you won’t find on its biggest competitor.

The Samsung Find app — the app that helps users find misplaced Galaxy smartphones, tablets, watches, earbuds, S Pens, and other devices — recently got an update after more than a month. While investigating the update, we discovered strings of code referencing a feature called “Lost mode” for the Galaxy Ring.

<string name="lost_mode_guide_description_ring">Lost mode helps protect your ring while it's missing.</string>
<string name="message_default_ring">I lost my ring. Please help me find it.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_error_ring">Couldn't connect to Ring to start blinking.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_ready_ring">Tap start to make the light on your ring blink.</string>
<string name="ring_dialog_ringing_ring">Ring light is blinking.</string>
<string name="pairing_lock_description_ring">This ring will be locked to your Samsung account. No one else will be able to use it.</string>

According to the strings, it appears a user will be able to turn Lost mode on via the app. If you can’t find the ring without help, the app will give you the option to turn on a light that’s embedded in the ring and have it start blinking. The app will also tell the user if the light is blinking or if it is unable to connect with the ring to trigger the blinking. Additionally, it seems Lost mode will allow users to lock their Samsung accounts from the app so no one else can use the ring or access your information.

This feature would be pretty handy if you were ever in the unfortunate position of misplacing your smart ring. It’s also something that would set it apart from what Oura offers with its competitor hardware.

As Oura explains on its support page, if you lose your Oura Ring, it will enter into Restricted Mode when attempting to pair with a new device. Restricted Mode causes the Oura App to prompt you to factory reset the smart ring. Factory resetting erases the data since your last sync, but historical data before your last sync is still available.

As this is an APK teardown, it’s unclear if/when the feature could roll out. But we would imagine it would likely be ready around the time the Galaxy Ring launches. That launch date is still a mystery, but rumors point to a significant Samsung launch on July 10, so it might be then.

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring has the potential to be a solid fitness tracker. It could be a practical option for users who prefer something more discreet than a big smartwatch. But smartwatches come with an adjustable strap that allows a wider range of wrist sizes to live with a particular-sized smartwatch. You are significantly more constrained for smart rings as you need to get a perfect fit for your fingers. As it turns out, if you have bigger hands and thicker fingers, you could get more battery life with the Galaxy Ring.

The Galaxy Ring has been spotted on its way to FCC certification, by MySmartPrice. As per the FCC listing, the Galaxy Ring will debut with the model number SM-Q503 (though I presume we could see a model number for each size). The listing reveals that Samsung will equip the Galaxy Ring with a 17mAh battery for sizes 5, 6, and 7. Sizes 8, 9, 10, and 11 will get a bigger 18.5mAh battery, while the size 12 Galaxy Ring will have a 22.5mAh battery. Information for size 13 is missing, but we can expect it to share the 22.5mAh battery from the size 12 ring.

Since the Galaxy Ring has no display, and the rest of the base hardware is expected to remain the same across sizes, it is easy and fair to conclude that your Galaxy Ring’s battery life will depend on its size. The biggest ring will have the most battery life thanks to the bigger battery.

The FCC listing also mentions that the Galaxy Ring will come with support for Bluetooth 5.4 and Bluetooth LE.

Competitors like the Oura Ring also follow a similar approach. The smaller-sized rings have a smaller battery, as the ring has less physical space to pack a bigger battery. Consequently, the total battery life on the larger rings will be better than that of the smaller rings, simply by virtue of more battery capacity. But you needn’t fret that much, as even the smallest-sized ring offers multi-day battery life, which is difficult to say for the smallest-sized smartwatches. So, you should still aim to get the best fit for your smart ring and not worry that much about battery size.

We’re eagerly awaiting the release of the Oura Ring 4, but Oura is working hard to make its existing Oura Ring models even more useful. The company has now announced new women-centric features that will likely be well-received by many.

Cycle Insights 3.0

Oura says Ring users will soon receive information about their cycle’s regularity, typical cycle length, and typical period length so they can learn patterns and seek care if/when needed, especially those with irregular cycles and women in perimenopause.

Cycle Aware Readiness Scores

The Readiness Score that Oura presents will soon consider biometric changes that occur throughout the menstrual cycle, including rising heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature and decreasing HRV during the luteal phase.

With this upcoming update to the companion app, members enrolled in Cycle Insights will not see decreases in their Readiness Scores as a result of their normal, cyclical biometric changes, making it a more accurate measurement of wellness.

Cycle Insights Report

The new Cycle Insights Report is designed in partnership with members of Oura’s Medical Advisory Board. This report will include cycle length, period length, temperature variation charts, cycle variability, and more.

Oura says these new features will roll out in the next few weeks. Device support has not been clarified, so we presume the features will come to currently supported models, namely the Oura Ring 3 in the Heritage and Horizon variants.

The Oura Ring can already measure a wide range of heart-related health factors like your heart rate variability and workout heart rate. Now the company is adding two new features that can tell you how old your heart really is and how to optimize your respiratory system to improve long-term heart health.

Oura has announced today that its smart ring will soon be able to measure cardiovascular age and cardio capacity. The aim of these two features is to allow users to check their cardiovascular health status and take proactive measures.

The Oura Ring can already measure a wide range of heart-related health factors like your heart rate variability and workout heart rate. Now the company is adding two new features that can tell you how old your heart really is and how to optimize your respiratory system to improve long-term heart health.

Oura has announced today that its smart ring will soon be able to measure cardiovascular age and cardio capacity. The aim of these two features is to allow users to check their cardiovascular health status and take proactive measures.

The Oura Ring can already measure a wide range of heart-related health factors like your heart rate variability and workout heart rate. Now the company is adding two new features that can tell you how old your heart really is and how to optimize your respiratory system to improve long-term heart health.

Oura has announced today that its smart ring will soon be able to measure cardiovascular age and cardio capacity. The aim of these two features is to allow users to check their cardiovascular health status and take proactive measures.

Xiaomi-backed Black Shark was one of the few dedicated gaming smartphone brands out there, but it hasn’t released a new gaming phone since 2022. Rumors have been around for years now that the company has shuttered its smartphone business but it never confirmed its exit from the industry. We also reached out to Black Shark over the course of the last two years and haven’t received a response from them. Now, out of the blue, Black Shark has up and launched a smart ring.

The machine translation of Black Shark’s post on Weibo announcing the launch points to a wearable similar to Oura Ring and Galaxy Ring, only much cheaper. The Black Shark ring costs 599primaryn (~$ $82).

Its main purpose seems to be exercise management and health monitoring during sleep. The company’s Weibo posts refer to the ring’s ability to record steps, distance, and energy consumed. Users can choose from three modes — running, walking, and cycling.