We’re almost two thirds of the way through 2024, and yet there’s only a single Android device that supports Qi2. Qi2, if you haven’t heard, is an evolution of the Qi wireless charging standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). The Qi2 standard was announced back in January 2023 and released in April 2023, but fast forward to today, and none of the major Android brands have released a Qi2-certified mobile device.

Or so we thought, until we learned that the Samsung Galaxy Ring is Qi2 certified. The Galaxy Ring is not only Samsung’s first smart ring product but also its first mobile device with Qi2 certification. We already knew from the launch event that the Galaxy Ring’s case can be wirelessly charged using Qi wireless charging, but we didn’t know until recently that the case is actually Qi2 certified. We learned this thanks to Samsung’s certification filing with the WPC, as shown below (H/T George Economo).

As you can see, the Samsung Galaxy Ring supports specification version 2.0.0 of the Qi wireless charging standard. In other words, it’s Qi2 certified and supports Qi2 charging. Other Qi2-certified products in the WPC database include the HMD Skyline, which is notably the first Android phone to receive Qi2 certification, and every iPhone since the iPhone 12.

The iPhone 12 supporting Qi2 charging isn’t surprising, because even though it was released in late 2021, Apple played a big role in the development of the Qi2 standard. In fact, it’s the reason the new standard even exists in the first place, as the Qi2 standard’s highlight feature is based on Apple’s MagSafe technology.

If you’ve heard of Qi2 before, then you’ve probably heard it described as “MagSafe but for Android.” That’s a mostly accurate description of Qi2 since the new standard is best known for introducing the Magnetic Power Profile (MPP), which uses magnets to align the wireless charging receiver and transmitter. By using magnets to align the charging coils perfectly, Qi2 improves energy efficiency by reducing the energy loss that would otherwise happen when the coils aren’t aligned. The magnets can also be used to attach other accessories, making Qi2 support useful for more than just charging. It’s why MagSafe adapters for Android phones have exploded in popularity in recent years.

It’s also why techies are on the lookout for Android and Android-adjacent products that support Qi2 charging and why there was so much disappointment when we learned about the Pixel 9’s wireless charging capabilities. So when we were sent a tip that the Samsung Galaxy Ring is Qi2 certified, we were naturally really excited by the discovery. Unfortunately, our excitement quickly faded once we tried to attach the Galaxy Ring’s charging case to various MagSafe and Qi2 chargers; the case just would not magnetically snap onto these chargers, suggesting it doesn’t have any magnets in the first place.

That revelation came as a surprise to many of us since the Qi2 standard has been heavily marketed for its magnetic charging capabilities. However, we’ve since learned that the Qi2 charging standard does not, in fact, mandate magnetic charging support. In fact, the Qi2 standard actually consists of two profiles: the new Magnetic Power Profile I previously mentioned as well as an “enhancement to the existing wireless charging Extended Power Profile (EPP) that does not include magnets but complies with the Qi v2.0 standard.”

According to a WPC press release from November of last year, Qi2-certified products that don’t support magnetic charging will be “branded with the existing Qi logo consumers know and use today.” The WPC’s current branding guidelines reveal that only Qi2-licensed products with MPP support can have the new Qi2 logo featured on the packaging, whereas Qi2-licensed products without MPP support cannot use the new logo.

Indeed, the Qi2 logo is nowhere to be found on the Galaxy Ring’s packaging. By digging deeper into the WPC’s database, we can see that the Galaxy Ring only supports the Baseline Power Profile (BPP) of the Qi2 standard. That means that, while the Galaxy Ring does technically support Qi2 charging, it doesn’t support the most useful aspect of the new standard: magnetic charging. Hopefully, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 series will support Qi2 magnetic charging, as it’s disappointing that there’s still only one Android phone out there that actually supports the new standard.

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.

The Galaxy Ring is one of the most exciting devices of the year for Samsung Health users looking for a carefree and screen-free fitness and health-tracking experience. It's subtle, does the job, and lasts even longer than a Galaxy Watch on a full battery charge. Or does it?

Well, it should, and it used to. Samsung advertises the Galaxy Ring for up to seven days of battery life on a full battery. It's a close approximation, as battery life will vary depending on the ring size. Bigger Galaxy Rings have bigger batteries and more battery life, but the difference isn't that great.

As mentioned in our Galaxy Ring review, we got around six days of use from our Samsung smart ring on a full charge. That's good performance for a carefree user experience, as far as we're concerned. But here's the problem. We're not getting close to that figure anymore.

Galaxy Ring has a battery drain issue

The Galaxy Ring we use for reference has been losing battery charge much quicker than before. Lately, we haven't been able to get more than three days of usage from a full battery.

That's about half of what we used to get on a full charge, and it's not much more than we'd achieve on a Galaxy Watches with a bit of clever feature management.

We're not the only Galaxy Ring users facing this issue. Here's another example from @imparkerburton on X. He used to get eight days of usage, but now the Galaxy Ring drops to a little over 50% after roughly fifteen hours.

The story continues after the video

We're guessing this is a temporary issue Samsung could and will fix through a firmware update. The Galaxy Ring might need some extra battery optimization, and if this is a widespread bug, Samsung will likely address it sooner rather than later. Until then, we'll keep you posted if we find any temporary or permanent solutions.

The post Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring has a battery life problem appeared first on SamMobile.

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.

The upcoming Galaxy Ring is one of the most exciting products of the year for Samsung Health fans who have been waiting for a discreet and screen-free health and fitness tracker. But it is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and what will be the Ring's greatest quality in the eyes of some users could become its weakest point for others.

Some people love the idea of ditching the smartwatch in favor of a smart ring because Galaxy Watches have a few issues and UI design problems. These customers also hope that wearing a smart ring will free their wrists so they can once again wear their prized collection of classic and diverse analog watches, all without giving up health and fitness tracking through Samsung Health.

Galaxy Watches are sometimes sluggish, the UI doesn't seem greatly optimized for the circular screen, and battery life is decent but not stellar if you're using all the fitness and health trackers at once. Besides, smartwatches can sometimes look too toyish and cheap. Plus, having one more screen to worry about can add to the daily frustration.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Ring is focused entirely on tracking the wearer's health, fitness, and sleep without any distractions. There are no extra bells and whistles, no apps to worry about, no screens to catch your eye, and no wristbands to discomfort you when you sleep.

So, what's even the point of wearing a Galaxy Watch anymore? Well, if you don't know, you'll want to hear this out.

Why you may want to wear a Watch instead of a Galaxy Ring

Assuming the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watches will have the same tracking capabilities, we narrowed it down to two main reasons why you might still prefer a Galaxy Watch over a Galaxy Ring, especially if you're new to Samsung Health and have to pick one device over the other but can't or don't want to have both:

• Music playback without a phone in your pocket.
• Live fitness monitoring when you work out.

If you enjoy the idea of leaving your phone at home when you go for a jog and listening to music in your earbuds, the Galaxy Watch will probably be the best way to go. Galaxy Ring specs are scarce as of now, but we're guessing it won't offer music playback capabilities through your Galaxy Buds.

As for the second reason, a watch might be a better fitness companion in high-intensity situations. You see, the Galaxy Ring will be able to record the wearer's health, fitness, and sleep data, but the primary way for users to check that recorded information is through the Samsung Health app on their phones. And that's not something you may want to do during a workout.

Because it doesn't have a screen, the Galaxy Ring doesn't have a way for you to check things like your heart rate, distance traveled, and reps live when you're out jogging or working out. You can't monitor any parameters during your active time. Or, at least, not conveniently without looking at your phone.

When wearing a Galaxy Watch, you can check those parameters at a glance from your wrist while you're being active. But at best, a Galaxy Ring will only post that information to the Samsung Health mobile app so you can consult it later, preferably after your fitness session.

Know what kind of fitness tracking experience you want

In conclusion, the Galaxy Ring might be the best wearable if you want to collect fitness and health data in the background and don't care about things like music playback and keeping an eye on your vitals when you're working out. Furthermore, it will probably be the best and least distracting device capable of tracking your sleep.

On the other hand, a Galaxy Watch will still be the superior fitness companion if you want to leave your phone at home when you go out running and want to play music in your headphones or track live health and fitness parameters from your wrist during those active moments.

Ideally, if you want to combine the best of all worlds and wear classic watches without abandoning Samsung Health, you'll probably want to use the Galaxy Ring at all times and pop the Galaxy Watch on your wrist only when you're working out. Then, once you're done, you can remove the Galaxy Watch or replace it with a classic timepiece but keep the Galaxy Ring on your finger for continuous background tracking.

If you have to choose between them, you'll have to figure out which aspects are more important to you. Would you prefer the comfortable and distraction-free background tracking of the Galaxy Ring? Or do you want to benefit from live fitness and health monitoring as you work out and smartphone-free music playback through your Watch and wireless headset?

The post Why you may want to wear a Galaxy Watch instead of a Ring appeared first on SamMobile.

Update: May 29, 2024 (1:15 PM ET): We’ve updated our Galaxy Ring hub with information on a potential loss prevention feature.

Original article: Samsung’s watches are among the best smartwatches in today’s market. Despite the line’s success, Samsung doesn’t appear ready to rest on its laurels. Instead, the company is pivoting to a much smaller form factor (and a different body part). Possibly sliding soon onto fingers near you, here’s everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring.

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Ring?

It is now safe to say that Samsung is officially making a smart ring. On January 17, the company teased the ring at its Galaxy Unpacked event. Though details were limited at the time, Samsung displayed the first images we’ve seen of the device and dubbed it the Galaxy Ring. The company then showed off the ring at MWC 2024 while revealing more details about it, and you can check out our Galaxy Ring hands-on for these details.

Patents for the device were reported in 2022, and the Korean Intellectual Property Right Information Service (KIPRIS) granted a trademark for the Samsung Galaxy Ring. So Samsung has been eyeing this form factor for a while.

We’ve been ignoring Apple Watch ring rumors for years now, but the fact is that smart rings are gaining traction. The screen-free experience appeals to many users who just want to track their basics without distractions. Either way, Samsung’s ring is definitely coming.

What is the most likely Samsung Galaxy Ring release date?

Estimating a release date for Samsung’s first attempt is nearly impossible. Branching into new territory, Samsung won’t want to swing and miss. To compete with existing smart rings, the company must have the device well buttoned up before launch.

In the wake of the January 17 Unpacked event, analyst Avi Greengart went hands-on with Galaxy Ring prototypes and confirmed on Threads that it would launch in 2024. However, he didn’t give an exact timeline for the launch.

A Samsung executive on LinkedIn stated in early February that the Galaxy Ring would launch in the second half of the year. This was echoed by another Samsung executive at MWC 2024.

What about a specific launch date? Korean outlet ET News reported on February 20 that the Galaxy Ring would launch at an Unpacked event in the second half of July. SamMobile would later claim in April 2024 that the company’s Unpacked event would take place on July 10. The outlet also spotted the Galaxy Ring in Samsung’s battery widget back in March 2024, hinting that it was inching towards a launch. So there’s a good chance that Samsung could launch the Galaxy Ring at the rumored Samsung Unpacked on July 10, 2024, alongside other products like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring made an appearance on the Bluetooth SIG website on May 17 (via 91mobiles). Products usually get listed a few weeks to a couple of months ahead of launch, suggesting that we aren’t far away from a full launch.

What specs and features could the Samsung Galaxy Ring have?

Samsung confirmed a variety of Galaxy Ring features at MWC 2024. The company says the smart ring tracks several sleep-related metrics (heart rate, sleep latency, night movement), will offer fertility tracking, and give you a readiness score for the day.

Samsung told journalists (ourselves included) at MWC that the Galaxy Ring has a battery life of more than a couple of days. However, the brand reportedly told Korean outlets to expect five to nine days of juice. Mobile chief TM Roh also apparently noted that you can’t take calls via the ring.

Speaking of the battery, Samsung told CNET that the smallest prototype present at MWC had a 14.5mAh battery. Meanwhile, the largest model was said to have a capacity of 21.5mAh. However, the company is still reportedly hammering out the details.

These prototypes that appeared at the event were notably lighter than the competing Oura Ring. Samsung told CNET that the smallest prototype model weighed 2.3g, while the largest model came in at 2.9g. For comparison, the Oura Ring weighs between 4 and 6 grams, depending on the size.

Analyst Avi Greengart, who saw a prototype of the ring in January 2024, noted that it will be available in sizes up to 13. The analyst also noted that Samsung planned to offer the smart ring in three finishes. Samsung would go on to confirm three finishes at MWC 2024, namely gold, silver, and black. The company also confirmed nine sizes.

Samsung has revealed a fair amount of Galaxy Ring details to date, but there are still loads of unknowns.

An early patent points to potential smart home integration. Samsung may offer Galaxy Ring users the ability to control connected devices such as a smart TV. Meanwhile, a July 2023 report by The Elec points to another patent by Samsung, which shows that a pair of XR glasses can use a smart ring to get positional information for your fingers and hands. That theoretically means accurate hand and finger tracking in XR applications, allowing for fine control over the UI and in apps. This is just a patent, though, so there’s no guarantee of this feature coming to the Galaxy Ring or any other Samsung ring.

The February 20 ET News report also points to the Galaxy Ring offering ECG functionality and blood flow measurement. The outlet also claimed that the smart ring would support wireless payments and let you control other devices. None of these details have been confirmed yet.

In the CNET report mentioned earlier, Samsung vice-president Dr. Hon Pak said they are working on making the Galaxy Ring compatible with other Android phones. While the smart ring will work with non-Galaxy handsets, it won’t support iPhone. “We recognize the iOS/Android challenge, and we ultimately hope that our devices are of such caliber that people will be willing to switch,” Pak told the outlet.

Korean outlet Chosun Biz claimed in March 2024 that the Galaxy Ring could recommend custom diet plans for users based on tracked health info. This functionality will apparently be available via integration with Samsung Food and Samsung e-Food Center. It’s worth noting that the latter service, which allows you to order grocery items, is restricted to Korea.

The aforementioned Bluetooth SIG listing also confirmed a variety of model numbers, namely SM-Q500, SM-Q501, SM-Q502, SM-Q503, SM-Q505, SM-Q506, SM-Q507, SM-Q508, and SM-Q509. This largely lines up with a Galaxy Club report from April 2024, with the exception of an extra model number (SM-Q503) in the new filing. This database listing also mentions that the smart ring has Bluetooth 5.4 support.

In an interview with CNBC in February, Samsung Electronics Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team Dr. Hon Pak mentioned that users will be able to get different health insights when they wear a Galaxy Watch and a Galaxy Ring together, indicating that Samsung is pushing for a wider ecosystem (and not a product alternative) with the Galaxy Ring.

An APK teardown we conducted in May revealed that the Galaxy Ring could have a feature called “Lost mode.” This feature would work with the Samsung Find app and use the smart ring’s embedded light to flash, making the ring easier to locate. In addition, Lost mode would allow the user to lock their Samsung account and prevent the ring from pairing to other devices.

What might the Samsung Galaxy Ring price be?

In a word: expensive. The advanced tech required to turn a tiny ring into a viable fitness tracker costs a pretty penny. Samsung has not detailed or confirmed any pricing or subscription details for the Galaxy Ring, but we have some leaks to give us a fair idea.

Leaker Yogesh Brar claims that the Galaxy Ring could cost between $300-$350 in the US. This will put it in competition against the Oura Ring 3, which starts at $299 for its Heritage variant and goes up to $549 for its Rose Gold Horizon variant.

In a conversation with us, Yogesh Brar also mentions that the Samsung Galaxy Ring could come with a monthly subscription that is “under $10” in the US market, according to his sources. For comparison, the Oura Ring 3 also requires a $71.88/year subscription to access its full range of features.

It’s not immediately clear what could be included in Samsung’s subscription. Dr. Hon Pak mentioned in the CNBC interview that the company is “considering” a subscription service for its Samsung Health app, but the capabilities and insights it offers need to be improved before that can happen. Samsung is also working on the Galaxy Watch 7 series, which is expected to launch at the same rumored Galaxy Unpacked event as the Galaxy Ring, so a broader Health subscription across both products sounds plausible, especially if it comes with some AI features for personalized health insights and coaching.

Should you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Ring?

There is a very good chance the Samsung Galaxy Ring will be worth the wait. On the other hand, with so many unknowns before we see the ring on shelves, I don’t recommend holding your breath. The best wearable is always the one that helps you pursue your fitness goals right now.

If a finger-based wearable is on your shopping list, there are a few other options. The Oura Ring 3 ( ) is our top pick with fantastic sleep tracking and a holistic approach to wellness. Meanwhile, the Circular Ring ( ) is the best Oura Ring 3 alternative. It tracks heart rate, sleep, and blood oxygen and doesn’t require a monthly subscription.

If you prefer to stay within Samsung’s ecosystem, it may be worth sticking with the company’s smartwatch line for now. The Galaxy Watch 6 ( ) offers a well-rounded smartwatch experience with all the basics in terms of tracking health and fitness. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic ( ) is slightly pricier but features a useful rotating bezel and an elevated aesthetic.

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.

Interest in good smart rings has been steadily rising, but the segment can still be considered quite nascent compared to other established product segments like smartphones and smartwatches. The Samsung Galaxy Ring could be the big break that smart rings need, but we still have to wait some months for Samsung to fully launch the product. A new leak has revealed model numbers of the size SKUs of the Galaxy Ring, but the leak creates more questions than it answers.

A report from GalaxyClub has revealed the different model numbers of the Samsung Galaxy Ring. These are:

The closer we get to the next Galaxy Unpacked event, the more I feel like my smartwatch is becoming less attractive. My Galaxy Watch 5's appeal is waning, and not because I'm anticipating Samsung to unveil a new smartwatch series at Unpacked but because I love the idea of the Galaxy Ring more every day while the realities of wearing a smartwatch are becoming harder to ignore.

Truth time. I've been using the Galaxy Watch 5 for about a year now, and I like all the new health, fitness, and sleep-related features it offers — features smartphones lack. I wear it because I like its functions, but here's the kicker: I dislike actively using the smartwatch in the true sense of the word.

The Galaxy Watch UI feels sluggish compared to my phone. The UI seems poorly optimized for the circular display. The simple act of touching tiny UI elements on the small circular screen to navigate the Watch has become tiresome. And the Watch 5 has started waking me up in the morning for no good reason.

After about a year of using my Galaxy Watch 5, I am now only wearing it for occasional fitness tracking and to tell the time when I'm leaving home. However, I don't use it as much as I used to, and I don't rely on the tiny screen to check my Samsung Health stats. I prefer viewing those statistics on the much more detailed and comfortable Samsung Health mobile app on my Galaxy S24+.

Galaxy Ring can't come soon enough

With the Galaxy Ring sparking my imagination, I realized that I don't want a smartwatch as much as I wish I had a minimalist solution to health and fitness tracking. A solution that could relay complete data to my smartphone and the full-fledged Samsung Health app.

At the moment, a Galaxy Watch is the best way to do that, as fitness bands aren't as accurate or complete as smartwatches. But once the Galaxy Ring comes along, it might turn out to be what I'm missing, i.e., a way to keep track of my health and fitness through the Health app on my phone instead of using another device with a screen. And without having to worry about battery life for yet another device that can't hold a charge for more than two days.

The Galaxy Ring isn't even out yet, and I'm already using the Galaxy Watch less every day. I keep forgetting to wear it because the wristband buckle gets in the way when I use my laptop. But I also no longer wear it as much as I used to for sleep tracking because the sensor lights have gone haywire.

What I dislike about my smartwatch:

• Wear OS and One UI Watch feel slow and choppy — from navigating the UI to answering calls and controlling media. Mediocre performance levels got annoying after a while.
• I've started ignoring many features that seemed cool at first but slowly became inconvenient and gimmicky due to performance, stability, and optimization issues.
• The UI is not optimized for the circular screen. And switching from One UI on a phone to One UI Watch leaves a sour taste and feels like I went back in time 10 years — and not in a good way.
• The UI often looks childish. And the smartwatch can look toyish.
• The wrist strap buckle gets in my way when using a laptop.
• Battery life is not bad, but not good enough for me to charge and forget about it for more than a day and a half. Yet another battery-powered device to worry about.
• Navigating Samsung Health features directly on the smartwatch is mostly a pointless gimmick when you have a much more functional Health app on your phone.
• Trying to use the Watch as a TV remote is a painful experience filled with stutters and delays.
• Even in Night Mode, the Watch keeps firing up all sensor lights on all cylinders in the early morning, often waking me up.

What I like about my smartwatch:

• It tracks health, fitness, and sleep data relatively accurately and relays it to my Health app.

Why I'd like to swap my Watch 5 for a Ring:

• In terms of Samsung Health, the Galaxy Ring should do everything my Watch 5 does, and more, without all the gimmicky features and the almost-useless screen.
• A simple design. A fitness tracker I can wear without worrying that I'll scratch my laptop when I rest my wrist on it as I type.
• One less reason to worry about battery life every 1-2 days.
• It doesn't add another slow and unresponsive touchscreen to my life.
• I can wear a stylish regular watch and continue to track my health and fitness.

To be fair, I would have never criticized the Galaxy Watch 5 as much if I didn't have an alternative. But soon, I will, and if it's as good as it looks, it might spell the end of smartwatches for me.

I loved my Galaxy Watch 5 until Samsung announced that the Galaxy Ring was on its way. Now, I can't wait to get rid of the smartwatch and replace it with what I think will be a superiorly-designed fitness and health tracker that doesn't get in your way. I'll happily trade my Galaxy Watch 5 for a Ring if the latter is as good as it sounds.

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Three months ago, Samsung officially revealed the Galaxy Ring for the first time. The sleek new wearable was unveiled alongside the Galaxy S24, but it isn't available for purchase yet. The South Korean firm didn't even reveal much information about its capabilities, features, variants, launch date, and pricing. However, we now know that it will be offered in several sizes.

Galaxy Ring could come in nine sizes

According to the information revealed by GalaxyClub, the Galaxy Ring will most likely come in nine sizes (US ring sizes 5 to 13). All these variants of the Galaxy Ring will likely come with different model numbers, and that information has now been revealed. You can see the list of model numbers of all variants of the Galaxy Ring below.

• SM-Q500
• SM-Q501
• SM-Q502
• SM-Q505
• SM-Q506
• SM-Q507
• SM-Q508
• SM-Q509

You might have noticed that some logical model numbers (SM-Q503 and SM-Q504) are missing from the list above. Likely, those models haven't been spotted yet, but they exist. The SM-Q500 will be the smallest size, while the SM-Q509 will be the largest size available.

Galaxy Ring features

The Galaxy Ring is expected to become available for purchase alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 sometime in July 2024. However, timelines aren't confirmed yet, and things may change. The Galaxy Ring features gyro and heart rate sensors, allowing workouts and sleep to be tracked. It could be quite comfortable to wear and last a week on a single charge.

The Galaxy Ring is for those who don't want to keep wearing a smartwatch all the time. However, it likely works with a Galaxy Watch for even more accurate health and workout tracking. While Samsung hasn't revealed the price of the Galaxy Ring yet, it could be priced lower than the Galaxy Watch 4.

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Samsung finally gave us a closer look at the Galaxy Ring at Mobile World Congress, while also dishing out more info about the smart ring.

Samsung’s biggest competitor in the smart ring space is the Oura Ring, which has been out for a while now. But which one do our readers prefer? We posed this question in a comparison article earlier this week, and here’s what you told us.

At MWC 2024, attendees were able to get up close and personal with the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Ring. In addition to showing the health tracker off, Samsung has also dished out a few interesting details that may have been missed.

We attended a media briefing by Samsung, and vice-president Dr. Hon Pak suggested that the Galaxy Ring might support Android devices at large.

I think you should know that we’re working on not just a Galaxy (for the Ring), but an entire Android for the Ring to work.

This isn’t a clear confirmation that the Galaxy Ring will work with all Android devices out-of-the-box, but it definitely seems like Samsung wants to support non-Galaxy Android phones.

Unfortunately, it seems like iPhone support is out of the question, entirely. Pak noted that Samsung “recognized the Android/iOS challenge” but hoped that its devices were good enough for Apple users to switch.

The folks over at CNET managed to squeeze out some extra details about the Galaxy Ring too. The outlet reports that the smallest prototype model weighed 2.3 grams, while the largest weighed 2.9 grams. The publication also noted that the smallest ring had a 14.5mAh battery while the largest ring has a 21.5mAh battery.

In saying so, Samsung told us that the dimensions had already changed. So these figures might not be completely accurate come launch time.

The Galaxy Ring offers many of the same health and fitness tracking features as the Galaxy Watch. There are some additional sensors that provide tracking for other metrics not possible on the Watch, but it's quite likely that users feel that if they have one, they don't need the other.

Samsung obviously doesn't want to be in a situation where either product is cannibalizing the other's sales. It envisages a symbiotic relationship between the two products, whereby they work together very well to provide you with enhanced health tracking.

Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring will vibe well together

All of the health and fitness data generated by the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring will be fed into the cI hope Samsung brings Health app to Galaxy Book laptops next platform anyway. If you use both devices, you get the benefit of having access to the most accurate data from either device. Their data can also be combined to deliver more detailed results.

Samsung VP Hon Pak pointed out during a roundtable discussion on the Galaxy Ring at MWC 2024 that the company has seen during its tests that sleep stages can be more accurately identified when both devices are worn.

The Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch are independently good at what they're supposed to do, so there's no compulsion that you must wear and use both devices together. Even if you have one, you're going to get class-leading health and fitness tracking. If you have both, you'll get the best insights.

Ultimately, it's about choice. A Galaxy Ring users may prefer the passive nature of this device. It doesn't have a screen and doesn't require any active input from you. If you prefer a Galaxy Watch, it provides some of the best fitness tracking capabilities while also being a full-fledged smartwatch that lets you read messages, take phone calls, make mobile payments, and more.

You'll be able to get your hands on a Galaxy Ring later this year. Samsung hasn't confirmed as yet when it's officially going to be launched, but it's possible that we may hear more about it during July's Unpacked event.

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Samsung's Galaxy Book laptops and Galaxy mobile devices are getting better integrated every year. Features like Second Screen work great across One UI for tablets and Windows OS on Galaxy Books. And recently, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds received a firmware update that enabled Auto Switch for the new Galaxy Book 4 series.

Meanwhile, Samsung is now making big moves to become a better health and fitness-oriented mobile device brand, and to this end, the company will release its first smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, later this year.

This new wearable has health and fitness tracking capabilities like a Galaxy Watch and even enables additional sleep-tracking features that are not yet available to Galaxy Watch users, i.e., respiratory rate tracking, heart, night movement, and sleep latency tracking.

With such a powerful push into the health and fitness market and cross-device features becoming more prevalent, I think it might be time for Samsung to expand the Health platform to include Galaxy Books laptops.

Samsung Health for laptops would even outsmart Apple

It took a long while for Samsung to bring its Health app to tablets, but it happened with the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Now, Samsung is expanding its wearable lineup with new Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Ring devices. And as Galaxy Book laptops are seemingly becoming more interconnected with mobile devices, it makes sense, in my mind, for the Health platform to expand its reach even further.

The Galaxy Ring should be a no-nonsense fitness and health tracker for all. It has the opportunity to become ubiquitous among health and fitness enthusiasts, as it works seamlessly in the background and doesn't have unnecessary gimmicks or distractions. And I think it would only be fitting for Galaxy Ring users to have the option to check their health and fitness data through their Galaxy Book laptops.

In doing so, Samsung would prove that the Galaxy Ring and its Health platform are designed for every type of user. It seems fitting for Samsung, an official sponsor of the Olympic Games, to overcome platform-specific limitations.

This move could even attract customers from Apple's camp. The Cupertino giant's Health app doesn't work on MacBooks, possibly to lure customers into buying iPhones and iPads. Samsung could, and should, in my opinion, show Apple how it's done.

Editor's Note: The mobile Samsung Health app can be accessed on the Galaxy Book series through the Phone Link software. However, it's not a native solution for Windows OS. It's more like mirroring your mobile Health app to your laptop. Nevertheless, you can technically access Samsung Health on a Galaxy Book via Phone Link if you connect your Galaxy laptop and phone. That's better than nothing, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

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Samsung finally showed off the Galaxy Ring at the Mobile World Congress 2024 this week and as you'd expect, there's a lot of excitement for this device. Since this is a Samsung device, you can rest assured that it's going to work like magic with Galaxy phones, but what about those who prefer phones from a certain company named after a fruit?

It turns out that the Galaxy Ring will not have support for the iPhone. So if you want to use a smart ring with your iPhone, since Apple doesn't make one right now, you either opt for one that's not the Galaxy Ring or wait until Apple comes out with one.

Apple users have no choice but to switch and buy a Galaxy phone

Samsung VP Hon Pak revealed during the roundtable discussion for the Galaxy Ring at MWC that the company is working to add support for non-Galaxy Android devices. When asked about iOS support, he said “We recognize the iOS/Android challenge, and we ultimately hope that our devices are of such caliber that people will be willing to switch.”

Clearly, Samsung sees the smart ring as an opportunity to bring more Apple users over to its ecosystem. It wants to capitalize on the curiosity that will exist for the Galaxy Ring to get Apple users, at least those that aren't entirely locked inside its walled garden, to give Android and Samsung devices a try. That's happened to some extent with the company's foldable phones, so there's no harm in trying the same with the Ring as well.

It was also revealed during the session that the smallest size of the Galaxy Ring has a 14-mAh battery while the largest size has a 21.5mAh battery. The company has previously said that we can expect battery life of up to 9 days, but obviously that claim needs to be put to the test.

Samsung hasn't confirmed as yet precisely when the Galaxy Ring will be unveiled. We exclusively reported yesterday that Samsung's next Unpacked event will take place in July. There's a good chance that the Galaxy Ring's launch might happen then.

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Samsung teased its long-rumored Galaxy Ring at the Galaxy S24 series launch last month. Now, it looks like we’ve got more information about the upcoming wearable.

ET News (h/t: Revegnus on X) reports that the Galaxy Ring is scheduled to launch at an Unpacked event in the second half of July. This event will presumably see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 revealed too.

The outlet adds that the smart ring will offer ECG functionality and “blood flow measurement.” Furthermore, it’s believed that the ring supports wireless payments and will allow you to control other devices (ostensibly smart home gadgets).

ET News also asserts that the Galaxy Ring will be available in eight sizes. The device is apparently in the prototype production stage and will purportedly shift to full-scale mass production in the second quarter of the year.

Either way, a July launch window would broadly fit with a Samsung executive’s claim on LinkedIn. The executive noted that the Galaxy Ring was scheduled for launch in the second half of the year.

Samsung teased its long-rumored Galaxy Ring at the Galaxy S24 series launch last month. Now, it looks like we’ve got more information about the upcoming wearable.

ET News (h/t: Revegnus on X) reports that the Galaxy Ring is scheduled to launch at an Unpacked event in the second half of July. This event will presumably see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 revealed too.