What you need to know

• Sudden Galaxy Ring 2 rumors suggest Samsung might skip over 2026, as well, and look to "early 2027" for its debut.
• The report says Samsung is looking to improve the entire device, sinking resources into its sleep accuracy, temperature sensors, comfortability, and more.
• Rumors from last summer said Samsung might utilize "dream batteries" to improve its battery life.

After a lengthy period of silence, rumors about Samsung's next smart ring might sour any hopes you had for 2026.

This week, a report from EtNews (Korean) claims that Samsung might be forced to skip 2026, as it toils away at the Galaxy Ring 2 (via 9to5Google). While nothing's certain, these rumors suggest Samsung's January/February Galaxy Unpacked 2027 could be where we look next. The publication's source alleges that it's "likely" that Samsung could unveil the Galaxy Ring 2 "early next year."

The allegations continue, with the purported source stating Samsung is attempting to improve the temperature sensors and sleep data accuracy. What's more, the next smart ring iteration could greatly "expand cardiovascular health insights." Blood sugar monitoring, in a non-invasive practice, was brought up again, calling back to previous rumors we've heard for years.

Comfort in the Galaxy Ring 2 is another object of internal discussion on Samsung's side, too. Rumors say the company might look to "optimize internal component placement" to facilitate a lighter, more practical smart ring.

Let's talk Galaxy Ring 2

We've been on an up-and-down road with the Galaxy Ring 2 for a little while. Last year, we thought we might see it during Samsung's summer Unpacked, but reports quickly dashed those hopes. It was said that the device was knee-deep in its "early developmental" stage, and that Samsung would not launch it in 2025. Some attributes mentioned in today's rumor were stated back then, too, such as a thinner build and its battery life.

Regarding its battery, rumors claim Samsung is chasing "dream battery" tech for the Galaxy Ring 2. These would be "all-solid-state" batteries, which would offer an increase in energy density from 200 to 360Wh/L. In short, we might see a larger cell in the Galaxy Ring 2. It was also surprising to see Samsung's non-invasive blood glucose monitoring brought up in this rumor. This is a piece of technology the company has been working on for years.

Rumors originally thought it might debut on the Galaxy Watch 7, but that didn't happen. It most certainly didn't happen for the Watch 8, either.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman Ring Pro is finally launching in the U.S. after resolving its patent dispute with Oura.
• The Ring Pro offers up to 15 days battery life, extendable to 45 days with its charging case.
• The Ring Pro starts at $349 for early buyers, with full bundle pricing going up to $479.

Ultrahuman, one of the best smart ring makers, is coming back to the U.S. with its Ring Pro.

Ultrahuman showcased its Ring Pro last month, and while the company revealed all the features and opened pre-orders in some markets, the U.S. was notably missing from the list. This was partly due to Ultrahuman's patent dispute with Oura.

Ultrahuman has been in a legal battle with Oura since late 2025 over patent issues. In 2025, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in favour of Oura, stating that Ultrahuman and other smart ring makers infringed on aspects of Oura's internal architecture and design.

This prevented Ultrahuman from importing and selling its devices in the States. However, it now appears those issues have been resolved, as the company's new Ring Pro is available for pre-order in the U.S.

The Ultrahuman Ring Pro offers several features you don't typically see on smartwatches. The company claims up to 15 days of battery life on a single charge, which can extend to over 45 days with the charging case — something that was lacking on the previous Ultrahuman Ring Air.

The charging case also includes a Find My-like tracking ability with an integrated speaker, as well as a proximity tracker, so you can locate it via the app.

Like the previous generation, there's no subscription fee attached to the smart ring, although Ultrahuman does offer optional paid plug-ins through its app. As for upgrades, the Ring Pro includes a dual-core processor, a redesigned heart rate sensor, and up to 250 days of on-device health data storage.

As for pricing, the Ultrahuman Ring Pro will be available at $349 for the first 1,000 customers. After the pre-order period ends, it'll cost $399 and will only include a mini charger in the box, with the charging case sold separately for $100.

You'll be able to buy the full bundle for $479. Ultrahuman says the Ring Pro will start shipping on May 15.

Android Central's Take

I've always preferred Ultrahuman's smart rings over other brands. The experience feels more complete, and it doesn't charge a subscription fee like Oura. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Ring Pro performs in real-world use.

What you need to know

• A tipster reportedly spotted new alerts in the works from Samsung for its Galaxy Ring.
• The alerts are primarily focused on disconnects and its battery, with many informing users about when their device was lost and its power level at the time.
• The Galaxy Ring gave users quite the fright late last year, as users reported swollen batteries trapping their fingers.

Daily life can get busy, and it looks like Samsung's working on new smart ring notifications to give you nudges about things you might forget.

Work toward new Galaxy Ring notifications for Samsung's phones was spotted by tipster AssembleDebug (Android Authority) in a recent app update. The notifications that Samsung is seemingly preparing all concern your Galaxy Ring's battery and its connection status. The tipster located a string of code that says "long_time_disconnect_reminder_notification_desc."

From this string, the accompanying description informs the user to connect their Galaxy Ring to check its battery. Moreover, it also alerts users to charge their Ring "regularly" to avoid a full battery drain.

Additionally, the tipster discovered that Samsung will also inform you about how long your Galaxy Ring has been disconnected. This is also under a "disconnect reminder" string in the Ring's manager app code.

A final discovery might help ensure users don't leave their Galaxy Ring if they've forgotten it. AssembleDebug lists one notification that your device will notify you of your Ring's power level at the time it loses connection with it. The post speculates that this could help users in a myriad of ways, such as issues with syncing that might've jumbled its connection with your phone.

While these new alerts were found early in the Ring's manager app code, there's no telling when they could roll out. The tipster purports an update could be right around the corner.

Upgrades where it counts

The Galaxy Ring is Samsung's first step into the world of smart rings, and it's not without its issues, as it started experiencing a battery swelling problem. In October, user reports surfaced with details about the device swelling and potentially trapping fingers. One user offered photos, showcasing the Galaxy Ring's swollen body, which started peeling as they tried to pry it off their finger.

Another report concerned a user trying to board a flight. They were forced to miss their flight as their device swelled, forcing them to make a trip to the emergency room.

Samsung's UK team acknowledged the issue, but there was no other official statement.

Eyes have also started looking forward to the Galaxy Ring 2. Rumors claim the company is already in "early development" of the device; however, one thing was clear: it wasn't arriving in 2025. While there's a chance (no matter how small) that it could debut in 2026, rumors allege a slimmer form factor and a better battery life for this 2nd-gen model.

While the Galaxy Ring's initial launch didn't meet up to everyone's lofty expectations, most of that feeling was because of its exorbitant $399 price. Now that Samsung has put it on sale for $120 off after Black Friday, it's a much easier purchase to justify!

Considering Oura is currently suing (and winning) rivals, now is probably the best time to grab a Samsung-made smart ring that doesn't require a subscription to use. While every major retailer has the Galaxy Ring on sale for the same price today, Best Buy is the best place to go because most of them offer sizing right in-store, making it easy to grab a Ring today instead of having to wait for a sizing kit to ship to your door.

✅Recommended if: You're an Android or Samsung user who wants 24/7 health monitoring without having to wear a watch all day, or you want sleep cycle monitoring but hate wearing a watch to bed.

❌Skip this deal if: You need robust fitness or workout tracking. The Galaxy Ring is great for basic heart rate and step monitoring, but doesn't accurately offer advanced features like SpO2.

It's no secret that I strongly disliked the Samsung Galaxy Ring at launch. The Ring was overpriced and did very little considering that, but $279 changes the conversation quite a bit. If you're anything like me and don't like wearing watches throughout the day (or night), a smart ring like this could be the thing you're looking for.

As a whole, the Galaxy Ring is generally good at three things: 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step tracking, and sleep cycle tracking. Its 7-day battery life also means you can plop it on the charger at the end of the weekend and not have to think about it for the rest of the week.

The Galaxy Ring is not good at basically anything else. Don't expect it to give you advanced health metrics like SpO2, VO2 max, or function as a workout tracker. For that, you really just need to stick with a smartwatch or fitness band. If that sounds good to you, you won't find a better deal this year (or mayb ever) on this ring.

Black Friday 2025 - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More post-Black Friday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Black Friday
• The best Samsung deals of Black Friday
• The best Motorola deals of Black Friday

Last year, Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring to huge expectations for its wearable future. The problem was that it was way too expensive, offering relatively little functionality for the $399 price. Now that it's a year old and we're already celebrating Black Friday again, it's down to a very cool $279.

That's $120 off Samsung's only smart ring in any of the three available colors, and you'll never need a subscription to access its best features. While every major retailer has the Galaxy Ring on sale for the same price today, Best Buy is the best place to go because most of them offer sizing right in store, making it easy to grab a Ring today instead of having to wait for a sizing kit to ship to your door.

✅Recommended if: You're an Android or Samsung user who wants 24/7 health monitoring without having to wear a watch all day, or you want sleep cycle monitoring but hate wearing a watch to bed.

❌Skip this deal if: You need robust fitness or workout tracking. The Galaxy Ring is great for basic heart rate and step monitoring, but doesn't accurately offer advanced features like SpO2.

It's no secret that I strongly disliked the Samsung Galaxy Ring at launch. The Ring was overpriced and did very little considering that, but $279 changes the conversation quite a bit. If you're anything like me and don't like wearing watches throughout the day (or night), a smart ring like this could be the thing you're looking for.

As a whole, the Galaxy Ring is generally good at three things: 24/7 heart rate monitoring, step tracking, and sleep cycle tracking. Its 7-day battery life also means you can plop it on the charger at the end of the weekend and not have to think about it for the rest of the week.

The Galaxy Ring is not good at basically anything else. Don't expect it to give you advanced health metrics like SpO2, VO2 max, or function as a workout tracker. For that, you really just need to stick with a smartwatch or fitness band. If that sounds good to you, you won't find a better deal this year (or mayb ever) on this ring.

Black Friday 2025 - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: early discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More Black Friday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Black Friday
• The best Samsung deals of Black Friday
• The best Motorola deals of Black Friday

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.

This week, the Galaxy Ring battery fiasco, Google launches its lineup of Nest devices, Oura's colorful ceramic rings arrive, Galaxy S26 Ultra's leaks keep getting better, and Pixel Watch could gain an advanced health feature. Let's get into it, shall we?

Samsung Galaxy Ring swells up while on finger

Read more here

Earlier this week, Samsung's tiny wearable was caught in a major controversy. The Galaxy Ring faced reports of battery swelling. Tech content creator Daniel Rotar, also known as ZoneofTech, posted photos showing his Galaxy Ring with a bulging battery and a peeling inner layer, still stuck on his finger (scary, no?).

In a post on X, he said that while preparing to board a flight, he noticed the ring tightening on his finger and realized that the battery had expanded while he was wearing it. Airport staff stopped him from boarding, and he later needed medical help to remove the ring. After it was removed, Rotar posted photos of the battery pushing against the casing and clearly deformed.

This has led several people to speculate about the safety of wearables that are worn almost constantly, so close to the skin. Samsung, however, seems to be asking some users to send the ring back so they can investigate additional reports.

Google launches it Gemini powered Nest products

Read more here

Google released its Gemini-powered Google Home lineup after what feels like forever. Calling it "Gemini for Home," the new range of smart home devices shows up with a Nest Cam Indoor (3rd Gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd Gen), and a Nest Doorbell (3rd Gen), offering an experience you'll find familiar, but greatly enhanced by upgraded hardware and Gemini.

On the hardware front, users enjoy 2K HDR video quality, improved low-light performance cameras, and extensive all-around visibility.

Additionally, Google's secret home speaker isn't a secret anymore. The new Google Home Speaker is designed for "natural conversations." It has a light at the bottom for users to know when Gemini is listening, "reasoning," responding to your question, or in "Gemini Live Mode."

The Nest Cam Indoor starts at $99.99, the Nest Cam Outdoor starts at $149.99, and the Nest Doorbell starts at $179.99, all effective October 1. The Home Speaker, however, won't be available until Spring 2026.

Oura Ring 4's moody Ceramic collection and case arrive

Read more here

Oura is kicking off October (rather Tech-tober) on the right note, announcing a whole new collection of the Oura Ring 4, along with its first-ever charging case. The latest collection features high-performance ceramic, giving it a look that literally resembles wearing a ceramic ring on your finger, rather than a smart ring.

The new Oura Ring 4 Ceramic retains the same advanced health tracking capabilities of the original Oura Ring 4. The ring maker appears to be channeling nostalgic mood ring vibes with this collection.

As for the ring's dimensions, it measures 7.9mm in width, similar to the Oura Ring 4. However, the new collection is significantly thicker, measuring 3.51mm due to the zirconia ceramic material used in the ring.

Additionally, Oura has launched its first-ever charging case, following four generations of its rings. While it's only compatible with the latest generation smart ring, the case can power up to 5 full charges and complete one ring charge, as well as the case charge, in 90 minutes.

Galaxy S26 Ultra leak is as good as it gets

Read more here

The launch of Samsung's next flagship is nowhere around the corner; however, we've been seeing leaks drop like hot cakes. OnLeaks (via Android Headlines) shared CAD-based renders of the Galaxy S26 Ultra in black colorway, showing it off from all angles. While the design shares some similarities with the current Galaxy S25 Ultra, the renders also reveal several notable changes for the upcoming flagship.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra will reportedly feature a flat-edge frame similar to its predecessor, but the corners are even more rounded this time, aligning with previous leaks that have hinted at this design. The next Ultra could be slightly taller and wider than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, while the thickness will be reduced from 8.2mm to 7.9mm.

The CAD renders also show a switch with the camera array. The three main lenses sit in a vertical camera island to the left, while the other sensors and flash sit to the right. That said, the phone doesn't look any different than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, at least in these renders.

Pixel Watch could get hypertension tracking

Read more here

A recent leak suggests that Google could be working on hypertension screening on the Pixel Watch, which was spotted in an APK teardown of the Fitbit app's latest update.

Reference to "Fitbit Hypertension Study" was seen within the app, which is supposedly designed to gather sensor data from the Pixel Watch and pair it with user-submitted information to test how well the wearable can look for and flag elevated blood pressure levels.

Participants who enroll in the study will be asked to complete a short questionnaire and allow the watch to passively collect health data; others may need to wear a blood pressure cuff for more direct comparisons. Google appears to be in the initial stage of testing this feature, and there's no definitive proof that it will be available on future Pixel Watches.

However, this could be a step in the right direction to keep up with Apple, as it is yet to get FDA approval on its Hypertension feature on the new Apple Watch Series 11.

More stories this week

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• Strava sues Garmin as decade-old grievances boil to the surface
• Galaxy S26 Ultra leak shows first look at built-in 'privacy display'
• YouTube is testing bold mobile UI changes, and users are split
• Meta's $800 Ray-Ban Display glasses are flying off shelves already
• Amazon unveils redesigned Kindle Scribe with first-ever color soft display
• T-Satellite takes Android apps to the stars with 'Satellite-ready' access on T-Mobile
• Amazon's AI-powered Echo series devices blend Alexa Plus with Omnisence
• Oura Ring users can now access over 50 blood biomarkers for $99
• Samsung says the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a hit, and the reason's pretty clear
• Amazon's new Fire TV series is here, waving goodbye to Android with VegaOS

What you need to know

• The Galaxy Ring is facing reports of battery swelling that can trap the device on a user’s finger.
• Tech influencer Daniel Rotar (ZoneofTech) shared photos showing his ring’s battery bulging and peeling while stuck on his finger.
• The incident happened at an airport, where swelling prevented him from boarding a flight. He later needed hospital help to remove it.
• Samsung’s UK support team acknowledged the case privately, but the company has made no public statement or advisory.

Original article

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, which was released just over a year ago, is now facing a serious issue. Some users have reported that the battery can swell, turning a fitness tracker into a potential medical emergency.

A recent Galaxy Ring incident drew attention when its battery failed in a dramatic way. Tech creator Daniel Rotar, also known as ZoneofTech, posted photos showing his Galaxy Ring with a bulging battery and a peeling inner layer, still stuck on his finger.

He said that while preparing to board a flight, he noticed the ring tightening on his finger and realized the battery had expanded while he was wearing it. Airport staff stopped him from boarding, and he later needed medical help to remove the ring.

Doctors used ice to reduce the swelling and a medical lubricant to gently slide the ring off, as using soap and cream had only made things worse. After it was removed, photos showed the battery pushing against the casing and clearly deformed.

Battery swelling isn’t new in consumer electronics, but the risks are higher in this case. Lithium-ion batteries can expand due to gas buildup or wear over time, and the Galaxy Ring’s slim design means any issue puts direct pressure on the wearer’s finger.

With smartphones or watches, a swollen battery may alter the shape of the case. However, a ring lacks flexibility, so even a slight battery expansion can press painfully and dangerously against the finger.

While the Galaxy Ring’s swelling cases haven’t involved fires or explosions, the safety concerns are still significant.

Samsung's response is quiet (so far)

Samsung has responded quietly so far. The UK support team replied to Daniel’s post on X, asking him to send more details in a direct message so they could look into the case. The company hasn’t made a public statement or released a safety advisory yet.

Android Central has reached out to Samsung for comment and will update this post once the company releases a statement.

The Galaxy Ring came out in July 2024 with health-tracking features, a slim and light design, and up to seven days of battery life, depending on the size. It was meant to compete with the Oura Ring and other wearable wellness devices. But these recent swelling reports could hurt Samsung’s place in the smart ring market, especially as users start to worry about the safety of wearing a device that might get stuck on their finger.

Smart ring deals aren't quite as common as those of other devices. However, days after the Amazon Labor Day sale, the retailer is still offering $100 off the Samsung Galaxy Ring. While it may not have quite as many features as some other smart rings, it's a perfect stepping stone for Samsung fans who are new to the devices and who just want something comfortable, stylish, and with basic tracking capabilities.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring includes 24/7 tracking features for walking, running, and sleeping, as well as a few fitness programs and other health data. It's also among the thinner smart bands out there, and it has a long enough battery life to get through a week or so without needing a charge.

It is worth noting that the Galaxy Ring doesn't include AFib detection, so it won't offer a substantial heart rate monitoring option. It's also much more compatible with Samsung devices than others, so it might be worth looking elsewhere if you want to get the most out of pairing features.

✅Recommended if: you're looking for a basic smart ring with a battery that will last you around a week; you want a smart ring but don't want to pay a monthly subscription fee like some brands require; you're hoping to use a smart ring for health and fitness data or sleep tracking.

❌Skip this deal if: you'd rather go with a smartwatch at a similar price point; you're looking for a wearable with AFib detection; you don't have a Samsung phone and you want optimal compatibility with your smart ring.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring includes a roughly-one-week battery life, a thin, comfortable design, and a handful of useful walking, running, and sleep tracking features. It charges using a USB-C port like most other smart rings, and it also comes with a transparent charging case.

Users also like that the device doesn't require a monthly subscription for health data like the Oura Ring Gen 3 does.

However, without AFib detection, it's not a versatile enough device to forego the smart watch for most individuals, though that may not bother those who plan to use them in tandem.

The best Android sales this week - quick links

• Amazon: discounted headphones, dorm appliances, and more
• Best Buy: up to $250 off Chromebooks, tablets
• Walmart: major savings on Chromebooks, smart TVs
• Samsung: foldable phones, trade-in opportunities
• Lenovo: epic laptop sale, free shipping for students
• Dell: students get 10% off all back-to-school purchases

Samsung rarely discounts its Galaxy Ring. It briefly dipped to about $320 last December before climbing back to $399 for seven months. It's much costlier than its best smart ring rivals, but now it's temporarily more affordable at $299 ($100 off) on Amazon for Prime Day, an all-time low.

But if you went into Unpacked hoping for a Galaxy Ring 2, you may be wondering whether (A) Samsung doesn't have a roadmap for future smart rings or (B) you should still hold out past Prime Day in the hopes that the Ring 2 shows up in 2026.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is definitely a first-gen product, with great style and all the health and sleep essentials, but fairly limited compared to an Oura Ring 4 in terms of what it tracks. Despite that, it's a great option if you're a regular Samsung Health user, but want to get your insights without the discomfort of wearing a Galaxy Watch 8 to bed.

✅Recommended if: You want a subscription-free smart ring that integrates directly with your Galaxy phone for "Find My" detection and gesture controls, in addition to all the usual health and sleep data.

❌Skip this deal if: You don't have a Galaxy phone, you're willing to buy a competing smart ring that's even cheaper, or you're willing to wait for the Galaxy Ring 2.

On that last note, the latest Galaxy Ring 2 leak suggested that it's "in the early stages of development" and not likely to arrive before 2026. That's a long time to wait. Still, we've seen a report that Samsung will use "dream tech batteries" that'll greatly improve the current model's week-long battery life without increasing its size.

Samsung has also patented new smart ring features, like a resizable design that could morph to fit any finger size. Another patent outlined a dual temperature sensor that would still measure your skin temperature but also check the temperature of something else (like a child's forehead) with the outside of the ring. And other patents have suggested this ring could serve as a controller for Samsung's VR headset.

No patent is guaranteed to be used, but the Galaxy Ring 2 will definitely have upgrades over the first-gen model. And currently, Samsung is more focused on sleep tracking for its smartwatches, giving the Galaxy Watch 8 a Bedtime Guidance tool to analyze your circadian rhythm and suggest an ideal bedtime. Apparently, the Galaxy Ring won't support this, though we're still waiting on confirmation from Samsung.

That's why you may want to skip this compelling Galaxy Ring deal. Not because we think it'll get that much cheaper later, but because you may want to hold out another year for Samsung to nail the smart ring formula with the Ring 2, adding new sensors and tricks to make it stand out from its smart ring rivals.

If the Galaxy Ring doesn't appeal to you and you're not willing to wait, there are plenty of alternatives on sale for Prime Day that'll fall into the same price range, if not lower! The Oura Ring 4, Ultrahuman Ring Air, and RingConn Gen 2 all have pretty good deals.

For everything on Amazon Prime Day, head to our ultimate shopping guide.

Prime Day 2025 Android deals — quick links

• Prime Day is coming: see the full list of Amazon deals
• Phones: major discounts on Samsung and Pixel
• Tablets: discounted Galaxy Tab and iPad
• Wearables: up to 45% off Garmin watches
• Most Prime Day deals are members-only: sign up for the 30-day trial

What you need to know

• Galaxy Ring 2 could be in the works, according to a new report.
• The report suggests that the Galaxy Ring 2 is still in its early stages of development and won't be launching this year.
• The new Galaxy Ring could be slimmer, with better battery life, and an all-new design so that the ring fits better.

The Galaxy Ring launched in July last year, after which the company has since rolled out new sizes for the wearable and teased a new limited-edition colorway. And now, it looks like Samsung is working on the next generation of the wearable.

While we were hoping to see a glimpse of the Galaxy Ring's successor at some point this year, it seems highly unlikely, according to a new report. Galaxy Club claims that, Samsung recently started working on its next Galaxy Ring, however, the wearable is only in the early stages of development.

The website further added that since the ring is still in the works, it's hard to gauge the features it could show up with. But they can confirm that, "At the moment, we do not expect a launch in 2025."

Given that the Ring is still under development, folks at Galaxy Club feel that the smart ring could likely show up along with the Korean OEM's next flagship model — Galaxy S26 series, or later.

That said, we have been privy to a few Galaxy Ring 2 rumors in the past couple of months, and most of them point to a potential design change. "Some time ago we also saw a patent application for a design with a flexible design that ensures that sensors fit better around your finger," the website added.

In March, we heard that the Galaxy Ring 2 could potentially come with new sensors that measure not just the surface but also the body temperatures of the user, as well as others.

Additionally, we heard that the new ring might also sport motion sensors such as an accelerometer and gyroscope. This will gauge the user's finger and hand movements that will determine "where it is as well as how it's being used."

More recently, a report suggested that Samsung is considering using solid electrolytes instead of a traditional lithium-ion battery, increasing the energy density from 200 to 360Wh/L and offering greater flexibility that would be perfect for this rounded form factor.

However, considering that these new "dream batteries" could be expensive, the next Galaxy Ring could cost much more than most smart rings on the market. While these leaks seem promising, they should be taken with a grain of salt until we see any substantial announcement from the company.

What you need to know

• Samsung's limited-edition Galaxy Ring looks fresh with a "Two-Tone Titanium Black" color combo (Titanium Black + Titanium Silver), but the tech inside is the same as previous versions.
• Right now, the ring's only available at that one store, and no word on how many are up for grabs.
• You can snag it at the Samsung Gangnam store, or get it with the S25 Edge for 20% off and KRW 100,000 ($70) in Samsung points.

Samsung has pulled back the curtain on the Galaxy S25 Edge, but that wasn’t the only surprise it had up its sleeve. Tucked into the buzz around its South Korean launch was something a little extra for wearable fans: a limited-edition colorway of the Galaxy Ring.

According to Samsung's Korean website, the new Galaxy Ring is pretty much the same tech-wise as its past versions (via SamMobile). The real standout is its fresh look.

Samsung calls it "Two-Tone Titanium Black," a smooth mix of the classic Titanium Black and Titanium Silver. There are no photos of the smart ring yet, but it's clear the company is going for a premium vibe here.

Bundle and save

Starting tomorrow, you can grab this exclusive smart ring at the Samsung Gangnam flagship store, alongside the Galaxy S25 Edge.

While you can buy the ring solo, bundling it with the Edge gets you a sweet 20% discount on the ring and adds KRW 100,000 (approximately $70) worth of Samsung membership points.

Sadly, this unique ring is only available at one location for now. Samsung hasn’t revealed how many of these limited-edition pieces are up for grabs. Here’s hoping it'll rethink the strategy and make this cool design available to more countries soon.

Same tech, fresh drip

Aside from the fresh look, the limited-edition Galaxy Ring's core design stays the same, meaning no new features to speak of.

The existing lineup comes in Titanium Silver, Titanium Gold, and Titanium Black, with sizes ranging from 5 to 15. If you’re unsure about your size, Samsung’s got you covered with a free sizing kit when you order.

What you need to know

• Samsung's Galaxy Ring charges with a proprietary case, and previously that case was hard to replace in the event it was lost or damaged.
• Now, anyone can easily buy a Galaxy Ring charging case for $90.
• The size-specific cases are available through Samsung's online store, Best Buy, and Amazon.

Replacement cases for the Galaxy Ring are now widely available via Samsung and partner retailers, but they cost a staggering $90 — almost a fourth of the cost of a brand-new $400 Galaxy Ring. The cases were originally only sold through Samsung customer support, but are now found at Amazon and Best Buy, as well as Samsung's online store (via 9to5Google).

Galaxy Ring cases are required to charge the smart ring. After dropping the ring inside the case, contacts on the ring will connect to the case and start charging the device. The case has an internal battery for extra charging, and features a USB-C port on the back. This all means that if you lose your Galaxy Ring charging case, you'll have no way to charge the ring.

These cases are also size-specific to your Galaxy Ring, so you'll need to choose the size that matches when buying a replacement or spare charging case.

At $90, replacement cases aren't affordable by any means, but they are now widely available. If Galaxy Ring users lose or break their case, there is a good chance they can acquire a replacement quickly at a Best Buy retail store or online with Amazon. This will help Galaxy Ring keep tracking without a hitch, and is a customer-friendly move.

Other smart wearable products with proprietary charging cases have similarly-expensive replacement fees, but they're harder to get quickly. For instance, if you lose a Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses charging case while on a trip, you will be out of luck.

At the time of publishing, some replacement Galaxy Ring cases are as low as $75 on Amazon

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.

The week the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge launch gets pushed, Galaxy Watch 8 shows up in a leak, President Trump extends Tiktok's deadline for the second time, Older Samsung Galaxy could get One UI 7's Now Brief, and dream batteries could be a reality for Samsung wearables. Let's dive in!

U.S. TikTok users can breathe another sigh of relief

Read more here.

TikTok seems to have dodged a ban in the U.S. for the second time, thanks to President Donald Trump.

"My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress," Trump wrote in the Truth Social post. "The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days."

The social media company had until April 5 to divest its U.S. operations; however, in a statement on the social media site Truth Social, Trump said that he had extended the deadline for TikTok's sale of U.S. operations for another 75 days.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, previously went offline for a brief period starting Jan. 19, 2025, but service was quickly restored. ByteDance spokesperson hinted that they're working with the Government to make sure that the social media site isn't taken down.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge launch delayed

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Samsung has supposedly pushed the launch of its slimmest smartphone, the Galaxy S25 Edge, by another month. According to previous leaks, it was allegedly going to launch on April 15; however, it seems like the company will now launch the phone on May 13.

WinFuture says sources close to Samsung told the publication that the launch of the Galaxy S25 Edge was postponed at the last minute and that Samsung was dealing with some "technical issues with the device, which made further testing necessary."

Other publications feel that Samsung wanted to push the launch due to internal company matters, particularly after the sudden passing of Han Jong-hee, the company's co-CEO.

Whatever the reason behind the delay, the Galaxy S25 Edge is one of Samsung's most anticipated phones yet, but we might already have another date set for May.

Galaxy Watch 8 series could launch as a duo

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Early signs of the Galaxy Watch 8 series have sprouted. Batteries that are meant for the next Galaxy Watch 8 series have allegedly received the SafetyKorea certification, and the next generation of the Galaxy Watch will supposedly include two models: the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 classic.

Two batteries with the codenames EB-BL330ABY and EB-BL505ABY have been approved by the SafetyKorea authority, and the leak by XpertPick alleges that these batteries could be associated with the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.

In a separate leak, a user on X revealed information on the supposed firmware that will be built into these wearables. Theordysm spotted model numbers SM-L320, SM-L325U, SM-L330, and SM-L335U, which could hint at the different size variants of the Galaxy Watch 8. Meanwhile, SM-L500 and SM-L505 could be associated with the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic variant.

The new Galaxy Watch 8 series is expected to debut later this year along with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 at its summer Unpacked event, the publication added. While we wait, here's what we wish to see from the upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 series.

For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch, check out our Ultimate Guide.

Samsung Galaxy S24 tipped to get 'Now Brief'

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A leak popped up earlier this week indicating that Samsung could drop a version of One UI 7's Now Brief on the Galaxy S24 series, according to tipster Mehmet Kaya on X (via SamMobile). The rumor started after Kaya allegedly discovered the feature while searching "Activity Launcher" in the latest OS beta. And when you search for Now Brief it will bring up its respective page full of feature details, as well as its list of supported Samsung apps.

However, it's important to note that users won't be able to see the feature in action in the beta version. The tipster further indicated that Samsung has "disabled it," which could indicate more work is required before it can be seen.

Another user, Josh Guy, backs this claim by stating that the Now Brief feature appeared on the Galaxy S24 in One UI 7 Beta 4. The user states that they had to do some "root level" digging to find "traces of code" to even access the core function, which seemingly indicates the Galaxy S24's ability to run Now Brief.

Samsung confirmed One UI 7 will finally arrive on April 10 in the U.S. However, its fully detailed rollout schedule was discovered on its Czech Republic website, giving us a good idea of what to expect.

Future Samsung wearables could be powered by 'dream batteries'

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Looks like Samsung could be working on "all-solid-state" batteries for its future wearables, specifically to power the next-gen Galaxy Ring.

A report by Money Today (Korean) claims that these batteries are nothing short of a "Dream Battery," containing "solid electrolytes," which will not only reduce the "risk of fire" but also exponentially increase the battery life of devices using them since these types of batteries are said to hold more energy.

While these batteries could get devices to last longer on a single charge, there's also a downside to it. Rumors claim that implementing this new battery technology into the next Galaxy Ring could make it more costly as manufacturing such a battery is "much more" expensive than the lithium-ion alternative.

For now, it is rumored that Samsung will apply prototypes of this tech to the next Galaxy Ring "in the fourth quarter this year." And could look to bring these dream batteries to earbuds in 2026 and a future Galaxy Watch in "late 2027."

More stories this week

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• YouTube preps smart Shorts creation features with AI for creative additions
• Meta's Llama 4 model is running behind schedule, but we might see it soon
• OnePlus exec teases the OnePlus 13T will be a tiny phone with a big battery
• Pixel 10 camera specs leak, hinting at a significant downgrade for one model
• Nothing's CMF Phone 2 teaser focuses on the shot with more 'coming soon'
• Google highlights smarter Gemini capabilities when integrating the Photos app
• Chrome for Android is getting extensions, but not like you’d expect
• Motorola Edge 60 Fusion is a new premium mid-range phone with AI and durability
• YouTube cracks down on fake movie trailer channels by disabling ad revenue
• Upcoming Sony Xperia 1 VII to look a lot like the predecessor as its renders surface

The Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 could arrive soon with a denser "Dream Battery." And for now, that's probably the best we can hope for to make smart rings longer-lasting. But there's a more fundamental fix — patented by Oura, unsurprisingly — that I think Samsung needs to consider for the Galaxy Ring's future.

According to the report, Samsung is considering using solid electrolytes instead of a traditional lithium-ion battery, increasing the energy density from 200 to 360Wh/L and offering greater flexibility that would be perfect for this rounded form factor.

The Galaxy Ring 2 could be the "first case" of Samsung using this tech, followed by the Galaxy Buds and Watch in later years. However, the report stresses that this battery tech is quite expensive; the Galaxy Ring is already costlier than most smart rings at $399, and this battery could push the Ring 2 over the edge of what most people will pay.

But let's ignore cost and say that Samsung can increase its Ring's battery efficiency. Its capacity will still be limited by physics and thermals, and the lack of smart ring repairability means any battery problem will be fatal. That is unless smart rings start to become more modular.

The problem with smart rings

Ultrahuman is one of the few smart ring brands to speak openly about battery health. On its FAQ page, it promises that the Ultrahuman Ring Air lasts 500 charging cycles "before there is any significant decline in battery performance," but that "a gradual reduction in battery life can be expected after 1 to 2 years" and wouldn't be covered by the warranty.

Even if other brands don't say it outright, smart rings are especially susceptible to battery issues. Most can only squeeze in about 20–30mAh of capacity while keeping the design skinny. They're optimized at the start to go a week on minimal capacity, but any loss of capacity will have an outsized effect over time. You'll probably notice the same issue with wireless earbuds.

Let's make an unscientific guess that Samsung's dream battery increases the Galaxy Ring 2 capacity to 50mAh, or even 100mAh. That's still on a scale well below a Galaxy Watch 7 (300–425mAh) or Galaxy S25 (4,000–5,000mAh), with natural drain after a couple of years but with capacity to spare.

More importantly, your Galaxy watch or phone is repairable; you can replace a deficient battery.

That wouldn't apply to Samsung's curved electrode battery, shoved into a dense, complex design. Generally speaking, smart rings are disposable tech because once they're constructed, you can't take them apart and put them back together again. This lack of repairability hurts consumers and manufacturers.

After I reviewed the Ultrahuman Ring Air, my fiancee decided to buy one and loved it. But after 3 months, it suddenly died, refusing to charge or reconnect to her phone.

Because it fell under warranty, Ultrahuman had to mail her a brand new one. It couldn't be repaired and sent back or refurbished for a new sale. It might not even be able to figure out what went wrong with it or if it was her fault (it wasn't). It just has to keep making new rings and throwing out the old ones — which must be expensive, depending on the failure rate.

The real smart ring battery solution

When researching the Oura Ring 5, I discovered a ton of cool patents for redesigning its ring, mostly to make it one-size-fits-all. But I was most intrigued by patent US-12177997-B2, "Functional cover with wireless connection for ring wearable." As the patent figure above shows, the ring could have a removable module that slides into a predesigned cavity.

Why design it this way? For one thing, the battery is "frequently the module in a device that declines in performance most quickly," so when it fails, "a user may be forced to upgrade to a newer module...even though the previous wearable device otherwise operated as intended."

With Oura's design, the ring top would be removable, so users could slot in a new battery module, or slot in modules designed for other purposes like fitness tracking, contactless payments, location tracking, and so on.

Thus, buying a replacement module would be less expensive than buying a new ring, and you could hypothetically own two battery modules and swap between them when one dies, so you never have to take the ring off.

I have no idea how easy this would be to implement or if such a module would blend in as a normal-looking ring top. Oura has other patents it could use instead, like US-20240385649-A1 — "Wearable Ring Device with Battery in Cover" — that focuses instead on squeezing a thin, 360º battery layer into the cover so that it doesn't interfere with the internal components.

It's not about what Oura ends up doing; it's that Oura evidently knows that the status quo — short-lived rings you can't repair or improve over time — hurts them with consumers who don't want to spend $300–400 every two or three years on a new ring. And it's looking for solutions.

Samsung's solid-state battery is an intriguing solution, too! But it's a stop-gap measure. In theory, it'll build up the Galaxy Ring 2 battery life so much that even when it loses capacity, it'll still last long enough to avoid daily charges. But it's still a battery shoved into a device you can't open without breaking it.

So long as smart rings cannot be repaired or refurbished, consumers will hesitate to buy one after another, not knowing how long they'll last.

What you need to know

• Samsung was spotted publishing a new patent that involves a Galaxy Ring charging method that mirrors the S Pen.
• The patent's illustrations shows the idea of the a circular slot on the back of a Galaxy phone for the Galaxy Ring.
• Patents don't inherently mean a company will do it; however, another patent was discovered, showing a Galaxy Ring with a "resizable" internal structure.

Samsung was spotted publishing a patent for its smart ring that involves quite a unique charging method.

A post by SamMobile highlights this new patent in WIPO, which explains the idea of charging your Galaxy Ring with your Galaxy phone. The patent in question explores the possibility of slotting the device into a circular opening on the back of a Galaxy phone. Samsung's title for the patent is "Electronic Device Comprising Seating Structure."

The Korean OEM provided a quick sketch of the theorized product, which shows a Galaxy Ring around a circular peg, similar to the device's current charging method in its case. The sketch doesn't explain if the Ring would be flush to the phone's back or if it would stick out a little while it's charging.

The illustration previews what the internal components would look like, which hold the pins for the electrical charge.

The publication spotted a few more details in the full abstract, such as Samsung's idea of bringing this method to foldables, as well as "certain cases." Elsewhere, it noticed the company mention the possibility for the Galaxy Ring to upload "health and fitness data" when slotted for charging.

It's probably no surprise that the existence of a patent means nothing without official company statements. There's a chance we might never see this idea, especially when you consider Samsung's recent trend of thin phones. It's even been rumored to remove the S Pen digitizer from its next Galaxy Z Fold for the sake of making it thinner — and the stylus was able to charge from within, too.

We've seen unique (and cool) Galaxy Ring patents before, like one from October that showed elastic internals that could alter its size to fit your finger. Samsung published that new patent last fall in South Korea with illustrations of a smart ring with a "resizing structure." The company also described it as "transformable," depending on the person. The patent explained three resizing structures for its rings with three, four, and eight internal segments.

Those segments would enable more or less "resizing" for your finger.

It's a neat idea, but there's nothing actionable to make this feel real amid rising interests in the Galaxy Ring 2. There were rumors that the Korean OEM could reveal this next device "earlier" with an increased battery life and a thinner build. Additionally, a more recent report from South Korea claims Samsung is looking to implement "dream batteries," more commonly known as "all-solid-state batteries," in the Ring 2, which could give it a battery capacity boost.

What you need to know

• A report claims Samsung could implement "dream batteries," known as "all-solid-state batteries, in the Galaxy Ring 2.
• This technology hold a higher density, meaning the Galaxy Ring 2 could sport a higher battery capacity to improve its overall life before needing a charge.
• Rumors also purport the company could look to bring this tech to future earbuds and Galaxy Watches in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
• Galaxy Ring 2 rumors are scarce; however, some have indicated the next device could grab improved battery life and a thinner profile.

A recent report suggests Samsung is looking into a new type of battery technology for its next smart ring.

A report by Money Today (Korean) claims Samsung will apply an "all-solid-state battery" technology inside the next Galaxy Ring (via SammyGuru). The publication states this tech, dubbed the "Dream Battery," consists of "solid electrolytes," which reportedly reduces the "risk of fire." However, there are two important sides to this type of battery. The first is positive, as all-solid-state batteries are said to hold more energy for devices.

In theory (and if true), this might give the next Galaxy Ring a longer battery life — though it can already last roughly a week. The report speculates that Samsung could take the battery's maximum energy capacity even higher when it looks to (potentially) bring it to the second Galaxy Ring.

The second is its application. Rumors claim that implementing this new battery technology into the next Galaxy Ring could drive up its cost. The post highlights that manufacturing such a battery is "much more" expensive than settling for a lithium-ion alternative. What's more, the poor performance of the Galaxy Ring sales-wise is supposedly a hurdle Samsung is still paying attention to when considering this battery type.

For now, Samsung is rumored to apply prototypes of this tech to the next Galaxy Ring "in the fourth quarter this year." Meanwhile, the report's alleged sources claim Samsung will also look to bring these dream batteries to earbuds in 2026 and a future Galaxy Watch in "late 2027."

Regarding Samsung's popularity concerns, when the Galaxy Ring launched last summer (July), the company struggled to keep up with demand. A report showed the Galaxy Ring sold out in just a few days prior to its official reveal/launch during Unpacked. When pre-orders opened again, the company had to deliver longer wait times for certain sizes as they weren't readily available. While this lasted for a few weeks during the summer, as the Korean publication highlights, it didn't last long.

As consumers got over the initial hype, and likely as more reviews came to light, things quieted.

Galaxy Ring 2 rumors have been scarce, but one claimed in November that Samsung could provide it with an increased battery life and a thinner profile. It's remained unknown just how thin the ring could be next time. Elsewhere, it seems Samsung is looking to bring even more features to its next smart ring as the original may have felt a little lackluster.

It's also unclear when Samsung could debut the next Galaxy Ring; however, we're hopeful that something shows up during its summer Unpacked this year.

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.

This week, Samsung lost its patent lawsuit against Oura, some Google Pixel users had to deal with a weird bug attacking their alarm clocks, Pixel 9a got a launch date, Fitbit's Health Metrics are getting a redesign on Android and iOS, and Google suddenly decided to "privately" develop future Android OS. Let's dive in!

Samsung's case against Oura gets thrown out

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On May 30 last year, Samsung tried to one-up Oura after its lawyers filed a lawsuit in the San Francisco Division District Court against Oura Health Oy. It was essentially a preemptive move before the latter could consider suing Samsung for patent infringement — just like it sued three other smart ring makers (Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn).

Samsung claimed that "Oura's pattern of indiscriminate assertion of patent infringement against any competitors in the smart ring market" is an "actual, imminent risk to Samsung" and the Galaxy Ring's chances of success.

However, on March 27, federal judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín from the U.S. district court dismissed Samsung's case, stating that Oura's general statements about enforcing its patents that were seen in the other three cases "were not directed at Samsung" and "do not reveal a likelihood or intent to enforce Oura’s patents against Samsung."

Samsung will likely appeal this dismissal, and experts think that it will continue to sue Oura, keeping the company from suing the Korean OEM in other courts.

While this tag game continues, here's what we think this dismissal will do to the smart ring market at large.

It wasn't you, it was your Google Pixel 9

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Nope, you didn't hit on snooze — your alarm actually never rang. Pixel users took to Reddit this week to report issues with their scheduled alarm clocks. This is the first we've ever heard of a bug like this impacting Pixel phones.

One user states the alarms on their Pixel never went off. In fact, they had set four alarms, and all four were "turned off," not dismissed. The user said that each alarm soon deactivated itself on their Pixel 9, while another user thought Gemini was behind this weird bug. Their post reads, "My initial assumption was that I told Gemini to stop a timer that was going off and it canceled all my alarms."

This issue seems to be impacting only Pixel 9 users after the March update. Google is yet to acknowledge it. For now, if you rely on your phone to wake you up, I'd probably look for another alarm to do the job.

Save the date, Google Pixel 9a is arriving soon

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The Google Pixel 9a launched on Mar. 19, and now, ten days later, the company announced that the budget phone will be in stores starting April 10.

Google usually makes all its devices available for pre-orders on launch day, but for the Pixel 9a, we were told that it would show up in stores "sometime in April." There's a good reason why Google wanted to hold back preorders; it said the first Pixel 9a units had a "component quality issue" and that it wanted to make sure that the phone was functioning as it was supposed to before being released to the masses.

In a community post, the company detailed its rollout plan, starting with users in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., who will get to buy the Pixel 9a as early as April 10, with later dates for other regions and some listed as "coming soon."

Fitbit's health metrics are getting a redesign

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Fitbit's Health Metrics page is getting a fresh coat of paint on the mobile app, matching other app components.

Before, the Fitbit app had the Health Metrics page for data points like breathing rate, resting heart rate, blood oxygen, and more appearing in a basic interface that didn't match the rest of the Fitbit app

However, an upcoming update is giving it a new look and making it easier for users to view their data. For instance, before the update, tapping the preview card will list out five health metrics recorded, giving you a glimpse of how many of those metrics are in your "personal range." In a new change, only the "Today" stats are shown on the main Health Metrics page.

Previously, you could see this data by switching to the "Trends" tab in Health Metrics; however, now the app will be focused on giving users metric-based data.

Google apparently wants to make Android OS behind closed doors

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Google is shutting its doors to the public when it comes to developing Android OS, according to a new report.

Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority claims that Google will shift to privately developing the Android OS starting "next week." This is because Google wants to start making the OS development more streamlined and internal.

According to Rahman, this change will more directly impact Google and the AOSP (Android Open-Source Project). The company will allegedly "change the frequency of public source code releases for specific Android components." Rahman states that, with Google's normal public source code releases for the AOSP, the company needs to "spend time and effort merging patches."

Have you heard of the saying," Too many cooks spoil the broth?" Looks like Google wants to solely have a say in how the OS functions, keeping the outside noise to a minimum. However, according to AC's Jerry Hildenbrand, "Android already isn't as open as you think." He says that Google is ultimately in charge of Android's code and has the final say as to what gets done, how it gets done, and when it gets done.

"You (or anyone) can contribute to Android, though. Once everything gets wrapped up, the "finished" code is posted for anyone to grab and use however they want."

More stories this week

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• The Nothing Phone 3a series might eventually put a price on its new AI perks
• Leaked Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE renders purport small changes to its familiar design
• Google Maps taps Gemini for an 'Ask about place' chip with directions and more
• The new Oppo Find X8 Ultra shot better low-light images than the iPhone16 Pro with dual periscopic lenses
• Google prepares you for a hot summer with new AI updates for traveling
• New leak shows off Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in 'Titanium' variants
• Heads up — Samsung's detailed One UI 7 rollout schedule for Galaxy appears
• New Galaxy Z Flip 7 case leak backs rumors of a larger cover display
• Google Maps might predict more than just the traffic for you soon
• Gemini 2.5 Pro is Google's latest AI model with thinking and multimodality built-in

Samsung's lawsuit against Oura has been dismissed without prejudice in U.S. District Court. While federal judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín gave Samsung until late April to file an amended complaint, there isn't much legal leeway. And this ruling is a reminder that Samsung aside, the smart ring industry remains in legal limbo even as things appear normal.

Last summer, Samsung preemptively sued Oura, arguing that "Oura's pattern of indiscriminate assertion of patent infringement" against smart ring brands like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn was an "actual, imminent risk to Samsung" and the upcoming Galaxy Ring.

The March 27 ruling — spotted by ip fray's Florian Mueller and shared with Android Central — shows Martínez-Olguín argue that Oura's general statements about enforcing its patents "were not directed at Samsung" and "do not reveal a likelihood or intent to enforce Oura’s patents against Samsung."

Oura only reserved the right to "take the action that's appropriate." It may decide that means suing Samsung, but Samsung lacks standing to argue future harm to its business without anything concrete.

Samsung can refile the suit, but only with "allegations that predate the filing of the initial complaint," and we don't know of any overt threats Oura made against Samsung before or after the Galaxy Ring launch.

Mueller argues in his analysis that Samsung's lawsuit successfully hampered Oura's legal action until some of its patents were "rendered moot" due to statutory limitations. He also believes Samsung may try to amend its complaint or appeal the dismissal, even without a "smoking gun," to forestall Oura from suing in another district like East Texas.

Samsung's stalling gambit has given the Galaxy Ring almost a year of unimpeded sales. But if this ruling eventually clears the way for Oura to sue, it could interfere with the hypothetical Galaxy Ring 2 or later models.

Of course, as this ruling states, there's no proof that Oura will sue Samsung after this. And we're still waiting to see how the other top smart ring brands will fare in their own Oura patent infringement lawsuits. We've reached out to Samsung for comment on this ruling and will update the post if we hear back.

It's Oura versus the smart ring world

In March 2024, Oura filed an International Trade Commission (ITC) action against Circular, RingConn, and Ultrahuman, stating they had "no choice" but to legally challenge brands that "imitate and ride the coattails of our innovation" through patent infringement.

A month later, the ITC announced a Section 337 investigation, indicating Oura had asked for a "limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders" that would essentially ban these brands from sale in the United States.

A year later, the investigation page still shows as "Pending before the Administrative Law Judge," with the most recent notice in December 2024 indicating that certain aspects of the case are still being amended. There's no way to know how long it'll take or how the change in U.S. administration will affect the ruling, but the case hasn't gone away.

Frankly, it's easy to forget how fragile the smart ring industry is at this moment. Smart ring sales were under a million in 2023 and should climb to 2.5 million in 2025, per IDC predictions shared with Android Central. The top smart ring brands keep releasing new models and signs point to strong sales.

The Circular Ring 2 is at $1.6 million and climbing for its Kickstarter, promising blood pressure and glucose readings. Ultrahuman sells luxury smart rings and constantly updates its Ring Air with new "Powerplug" features. RingConn launched its Gen 2 ring last year and the Gen 2 Air this month.

Unless you pay close attention to legal filings, you'd have no idea that the smart ring industry could come to a crashing halt if Oura proves that most of its competitors infringe on its ideas.

And those ideas keep coming! While researching possible designs for the Oura Ring 5, I found dozens of Oura patents filed in 2025 alone and hundreds more before that, ranging from new one-size-fits-all design ideas to more outlandish tricks like unlocking or controlling your car with your Oura Ring.

Samsung has its own patented ideas for the Galaxy Ring 2, like an outer temperature sensor to detect if you have a fever, gesture controls for other connected devices like a laptop or tablet, or a resizable design that'll morph into your finger size.

It also has more resources than startup brands like Circular and Ultrahuman, which could make it a tougher opponent for Oura to battle in the courts. Still, even Apple had to reckon with a potential watch recall over the Masimo blood oxygen patent dispute, and Samsung has already lost one legal fight.

Ultimately, no matter which smart ring brand you wear or are interested in, you may want to pay close attention to Oura's ITC case and the likely follow-up to Samsung's counter-suit. The smart ring legal war should only keep heating up.

What you need to know

• Samsung has filed a new patent that shows the Ring-like device to be taking temperatures of objects and people.
• It could come with visual, auditory, or tactile alerts that show up on the ring.
• The new ring may also sport new motion sensors that go with these temperature sensors.

The Galaxy Ring launched in July last year after which, the company rolled out new sizes for the wearable ahead of its recent Unpacked event. And now, it looks like they're working on the next Gen of the wearable.

We've heard little to nothing of the Galaxy Ring 2, luckily a new patent filed by the company hints at an interesting feature it could bring. The upcoming Ring could come with new sensors, that measure not just the surface but also the body temperatures of the user as well as others (via 91Mobiles). These sensors are said to be placed on the side that comes in contact with the user's skin, just like the ones on the first Galaxy Ring.

The publication further adds that the new ring will also sport motion sensors such as an accelerometer and gyroscope. This will gauge the user's finger and hand moments that will determine "where it is as well as how it's being used." The wearable will allegedly come built-in with the tech that will recognize the movement patterns of the user, which will trigger the temperature sensor to be activated.

For instance, if your hand moves a certain way to check the temperature of a drink, versus a person's body temperature— it can differentiate between the two. According to the patent, this could be possible if the ring had one non-contact temperature sensor and one contact temperature sensor. As shown in the sketches below.

Additionally, the patent adds that the final temperature readings may show up on the Ring, in the form of visual, auditory, or tactile alerts. The same goes for any other notifications the ring needs to send out to the user. This means that the surface of the upcoming Galaxy Ring could have a display, speaker, and haptic motor— a first for a wearable of this size.

In a separate patent filed in February, the new ring is shown to control other devices, working as a cursor, moving things around on what looks like a laptop or a tablet's screen. Just like the WowMouse app that turns your WearOs smartwatch into a mouse, with air gestures, that was spotted at CES 2024.

It is important to note that not all patent requests make it to the final device. While it would be nice to see this show up on the Galaxy Ring 2, here is what we expect to see on the next-gen ring.

What you need to know

• The Samsung Galaxy Ring now comes in sizes 14 and 15 and is available in 53 markets, including 16 new countries.
• Two new sleep tracking features are available including sleep time guidance and a new sleep environment report that syncs with SmartThings.
• The new mindfulness tracker feature lets users track moods, breathing, and stress.

Samsung is working on making the Galaxy Ring more attractive than ever by expanding its health tracking features and ensuring that it fits more customers than ever before.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring now comes in sizes 5-15, two sizes larger than when I reviewed the Ring last year. Those new sizes 14 and 15 come in all three colorways, including silver, gold, and black, and will debut on January 22, 2025, alongside the upcoming Galaxy S25 series.

Samsung also says it's available in 16 new countries including Cyprus, Czech, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Zambia.

The first new Galaxy Ring software feature is the mindfulness tracker, which will be available in the Samsung Health app soon. The new mindfulness section of the app shows a calendar complete with easy-to-understand, color-coded faces that summarize each day's mood, breathing, and stress levels. This should help organize the data Galaxy Ring already collects more concisely.

Sometime in the first half of 2025, Samsung will add a new sleep environment report that will use SmartThings-connected devices to add temperature, humidity, air quality, and light intensity to your morning sleep report. To get these, you'll need to have a thermostat, air quality monitor, or light bulbs connected to your Samsung SmartThings account.

The second half of 2025 will bring another update to the Galaxy Ring that will suggest optimal bedtime and wake-up time based on collected sleep patterns, habits, and conditions. This new analysis should help users sleep better by being on a regular schedule instead of ending the night after a Netflix binge session.

While it'll be a while before this feature is available, the bright side is that this feature requires existing data for it to work effectively. If nothing, you'll likely have plenty of sleep data for it to analyze by the time Samsung delivers it.

What you need to know

• Rumors claim Samsung is preparing to introduce new extra Galaxy Ring sizes, 14 and 15, next year in January.
• There is speculation that these larger sizes could feature "slightly" large batteries, but that remains to be seen.
• A Galaxy Ring 2 patent suggests it could deliver a flexible internal structure and other rumors purport a longer battery life and a thinner profile.

Samsung's Galaxy Ring finds itself wrapped in a new rumor that claims there could be more of it on the way.

The rumors surfaced on X through a post by Max Jambor who claims Samsung is planning to introduce new ring size options (via SamMobile). Supposedly, the tipster discovered internal model numbers for these extra sizes: SM-Q514 and SM-Q515. Jambor claims that these model names are for Galaxy Ring sizes 14 and 15, respectively.

Both sizes weigh roughly 3.2 grams and with a diameter of ~23mm and ~23.8mm.

More importantly, Jambor states an announcement of these Galaxy Ring sizes could occur sometime in January alongside its market availability.

What's more, the publication speculates that these two extra Galaxy Rings could provide even larger batteries. Currently, the Galaxy Ring is available in U.S. sizes ranging from five to 13. This affects its battery as the smallest size sees an 18mAh battery capacity while the 13 variant features a 23.5mAh capacity. Jambor didn't allude to any such changes; however, there could be a chance that the size 14 and 15 rings grab a slightly larger battery.

This isn't the first time Jambor has alleged an expansion in Samsung's Galaxy Ring size selection. In September, a post claimed that the Korean OEM was creating additional sizes — 14 and 15 — but that they would debut in "the coming weeks." It seems things have changed as nothing launched in October nor in November and with us in December, it seems Samsung set its sights on the new year.

Curiously, this extra Galaxy Ring selection could line up with the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked, rumored for January. Next month is expected to host the unveiling of the Galaxy S25 series. Perhaps, if the Galaxy Ring does make a quick appearance, it will be to announce the availability of these additional sizes.

The O.G. smart ring has been relatively quiet as all eyes have been on its next iteration, the Galaxy Ring 2, as rumors suggest a resizing function. A patent discovered in October claims the next Galaxy Ring could offer a "resizing structure" via its flexible internals that will only require Samsung to create one (outer) ring. The band would expand depending on the size of the user's finger for a comfortable fit.

Elsewhere, rumors claim the Galaxy Ring 2 could receive an increased battery life and a thinner profile.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring has been in high demand since it launched in August, and while Samsung isn't running any official sales, two of our favorite retailers are sweetening the deal by tossing in gift cards. Right now, you can buy a Samsung Galaxy Ring and get a $50 Best Buy gift card or a $50 Amazon gift card with any size Galaxy Ring.

If you're a size 6, Walmart has the ring for as low as $331.99 out the door!

If you don't know your ring size, Best Buy is your best bet. Most stores should still have ring sizing kits in stock, but be sure to call to make sure they've got some available before rolling down there. A sizing kit will run you $10 no matter where you buy it, but everyone gives you a $10 credit towards a Galaxy Ring purchase, so it's actually free so long as you actually buy a ring.

Once you've got that set, pick Best Buy or Amazon, a choice of black, silver, or gold colors, and get that $50 gift card to spend on some other great Black Friday deals!

✅Recommended if: You're looking for better sleep tracking or if you just want 24/7 health tracking that's way more comfortable than a smartwatch.

❌Skip this deal if: You're looking for a great way to track workouts. The Galaxy Ring is meant more for sleep tracking or 24/7 health tracking. A Galaxy Watch is better for tracking workouts.

There are lots of reasons to pick a Galaxy Ring this year, but one is the lack of subscription. While the Oura Ring 3 is cheaper this Black Friday, it requires a monthly subscription to unlock all the best features. Samsung only charges for the ring and never charges for your data or its Samsung Health service after that.

As is the case with many Samsung products, the Galaxy Ring is best when paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone and Galaxy Watch. One of the Galaxy Ring's defining features, Find my Ring, really only works when paired with a Galaxy phone. You'll also only get the full suite of Galaxy AI-powered health recommendations when paired with a Galaxy phone, as well.

Once you pick up your ring, these are the first 13 things to do with it.

Samsung's first smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, gave the category a much-needed boost of popularity this year. But while Samsung might have drawn a lot of attention to this relatively niche wearable category, Oura was the company that started it all.

Right on cue, Oura launched its fourth-generation smart ring, the Oura Ring 4 just a few weeks after the Samsung Galaxy Ring. For the most part, it's a better product than Samsung's in basically every way but it has one potentially fatal flaw: the best features require a monthly subscription.

Still, as you'll find out, Oura's hardware and software are just plain better than Samsung's, including better and more accurate health tracking, competent workout tracking, and great features like AI-powered food logging. Is the Oura Ring 4 worth the extra money it'll cost you over time? Yes, and here's why.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Cost and value

The Oura Ring 4 comes with a $50 price hike over the Oura Ring 3 but is still cheaper than the Galaxy Ring ultra out the gate. That is, of course, if you choose specific finishes. Black and Silver are $349, making them $50 less than the Galaxy Ring. Our Oura Ring 4 reviewer, Derrek Lee, preferred the $399 Brushed Silver option, while the Gold and Rose Gold options up the price to $499.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Ring comes in Black, Silver, and Gold for the same $399 price across the board. Samsung requires customers to purchase a $10 ring sizing kit before buying but the kit comes with a $10 credit for a Galaxy Ring, making it free so long as you actually buy one. Oura doesn't charge for the sizing kit at all.

But the initial purchase isn't the only cost you need to consider. The Oura Ring's best features are only available when you subscribe to Oura's service, which costs $5.99 per month. It's not a lot of money but the $50 you could potentially save over buying a Galaxy Watch gets quickly made up in less than a year.

You could opt to ditch the Oura subscription but you'll only have access to your three daily Oura Scores, ring battery, basic profile information, and app settings. Everything else is locked and there's no way to get the data via a third-party app, either.

Samsung offers all data for free but only offers AI-powered insights when you pair the Galaxy Ring with a Samsung phone that has Galaxy AI. Truth be told, Oura's subscription is worth it if you care about more accurate data which you'll find out more about in the health tracking section below.

Since smart rings are expensive, replacing a lost ring could be a deal breaker. Oura only offers a "find my ring" feature on iOS, but some Android users have had luck using the Wunderfind app. Oura is planning on adding this functionality to the Android app officially at some point.

Finding a lost Galaxy Ring is easiest with a Samsung device, as the company has deep location-based ties in One UI and offers a "last known location" feature for Galaxy users. All other Android devices have the option of blinking the lights on the ring to make it easier to find in the dark but other than that you're out of luck. I tried finding my Galaxy Ring once with the Wunderfind app and had no luck.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Design and battery life

The Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring look like normal rings, although both are a little bit thicker than your average wedding band. Both rings utilize titanium construction but only the Oura Ring 4 is titanium inside and out.

The new titanium inside of the Oura Ring 4 keeps all the sensors flat against your skin, meaning no irritating protrusion like the Galaxy Ring has. Plus, since it's titanium all around, it feels more premium than the epoxy that covers the sensors on the inside of the Galaxy Ring.

Titanium is plenty durable but the shiny gold variant Galaxy Ring I have has plenty of scratches that annoy me after just three months of use. It actually got scratched after just a few days of using it, while Derrek's brushed metal Oura Ring 4 still looks great as noted in his review on Android Central. Neither company offers official ring covers (cases), so be sure to choose a finish that will last.

Both rings offer roughly a week's worth of battery on a single charge, although the Oura Ring 4 could last up to 10 days depending on your use. Long battery life is good because both rings take nearly 2 hours to charge, although the Galaxy Ring is more convenient because of the case.

That charging case is very similar to what you would expect to get with the best Bluetooth earbuds, making it super convenient to charge on the go. That's not only handy for traveling but also for those times when you forgot to charge the ring.

Meanwhile, the Oura Ring 4 ships with a charging dock that plugs into the wall so you'd have to leave your ring at home if you forgot to charge it. On the bright side, the Oura Ring 4's charger is far more premium-looking than the transparent one that ships with the Galaxy Ring.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Health and sleep tracking

The main reason to get a smart ring is for 24/7 health tracking and, in particular, more comfortable sleep tracking than a smartwatch offers. Both rings offer 24/7 health tracking and sleep tracking but the Oura Ring 4 has been significantly more accurate in our tests.

As I noted in my Galaxy Ring review, the sleep-tracking accuracy isn't great compared to a Google Pixel Watch 2, the best sleep-tracking smartwatch I had at the time of review. I often found the Galaxy Ring's numbers were statistically significantly different to a point where I didn't trust the data it gave me.

Meanwhile, Derrek noted that the Oura Ring 4's sleep-tracking was right in line with his Pixel Watch 3. The only caveat he found was that it often said he slept a bit less than the watch told him, but the accuracy of the data while sleeping was great.

The Oura Ring 4 also has automatic workout tracking including more niche categories like dancing. Like the previous generation, the Oura Ring 4 will also track "miscellaneous" workouts it can't readily identify so you can go into the app and assign a label to it. You can also manually start a workout from the app and give it a label ahead of time for more accurate workout tracking.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring, meanwhile, only automatically tracks running or walking and only outdoors. I tried working out with the Ring for over a month and it seldom even noticed I was doing anything more than sitting at my desk working. There's no way to manually track a workout using the Galaxy Ring's data and the Galaxy Ring doesn't let you assign any kind of labels to detected workouts after the fact.

I even ran a Spartan Race back in August while wearing the Galaxy Ring and several other smartwatches and found the Galaxy Ring's data was totally inaccurate. Everything from the heart rate to the distance I ran was wrong, and it arbitrarily broke the race into sections whenever I needed a walking break.

One thing I will give Samsung is that the Galaxy Ring's step tracking is crazy accurate based on our testing, while the Oura Ring 4 doesn't hold up nearly as well.

Both rings also offer period tracking and our testing from female staff members so far indicates that accuracy is on point.

Overall, though, I would not recommend the Galaxy Ring for anything more than extremely casual health tracking, while the Oura Ring 4 is a much better choice for a smartwatch replacement. You might have to pay for Oura's data but it's completely worth it given the absolute gulf in data accuracy between these two rings.

Both rings' apps are quite competent and offer plenty of data and features. Samsung's Galaxy Ring app ties in deeply with Samsung Health, an app that does everything and anything you could possibly ask for.

Samsung Galaxy owners get exclusive features when paired with certain Galaxy phones including Galaxy AI health coaching, ring gestures, location tracking, and a few others. Only location tracking is a killer feature, though, as many of the rest are fairly gimmicky.

The Oura Ring app just got a huge makeover in time for the Oura Ring 4 launch, bringing it up to par with some more modern app design standards.

One of the new features includes an AI-driven food logging feature which lets you take a picture of your food to estimate a nutritional breakdown of what you're eating. The app is also smart enough to understand your eating habits and can help you plan your eating times based on your overall health tracking stats.

Of course, you have to pay $5.99 per month to get these kinds of features on an Oura Ring 4 but, as I said before, it's definitely worth it if you're interested in accurate and usable health tracking.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Which one should you buy?

While the Oura Ring 4 will cost you more over time than the Samsung Galaxy Ring, it does just about everything better than Samsung's first smart ring. It's got a better design with a flush, titanium interior, the potential for longer battery life, and more accurate health tracking data.

Oura's app is also fantastic with actionable information and an easy-to-understand UI design. New features like AI-powered food logging and eating time suggestions help paint a better overall picture of your health than what Samsung offers, further rounding out the Oura Ring 4 as the superior choice. The Samsung Health app has a bevy of wonderful features, including some Oura doesn't have, but the inaccuracy of the data from the Galaxy Ring makes some of those features far less useful.

And while the omission of a charging case for the Oura Ring 4 feels a little silly these days, 7-10 day battery life means it's actually pretty difficult to wind up with a dead ring. You get what you pay for and, in this case, the Oura Ring 4 is a more expensive long-term investment that's absolutely worth it if you're investing in health tracking.

What you need to know

• A report states Samsung recently published a patent in South Korea for a Galaxy Ring with a "resizing structure."
• The ring would contain a flexible, elastic internal band of segments that expand via pressure from a user's body for a better fit.
• The patent was originally published in December 2023; however, it recently resurfaced again in South Korea.

A Samsung patent was discovered, suggesting the company could implement a major change in its second-gen Galaxy Ring.

According to a report by Galaxy Club (Dutch), the Korean OEM has filed a patent for a "resizing structure" design. The patent was reportedly discovered in South Korea's KIPRIS database. From the application, it seems Samsung is prototyping a Galaxy Ring design that can reshape itself to fit any consumer's finger by using a stretchable inner ring.

While this patent was recently discovered, the publication states Samsung filed the original designs in December 2023. In Korea's KIPRIS database, Samsung states in its abstract that such a Galaxy Ring is "pressurized in its first part of the body." This inner ring is said to be elastic and "transformable," depending on the user's body. The patent adds that the elastic inside is guided by a "supporting member" for resizing purposes.

Elsewhere, the patent's design shows an inside portion that is split into "multiple sections." The post adds that Samsung's Korean patent shows multiple Galaxy Rings with varying numbers of internal segments. The company has reportedly filed this resizing structure patent for rings with three, four, and eight internal segments.

The patent doesn't strictly say this; however, the publication theorizes that the more internal segments the Galaxy Ring contains, the tighter it may feel on your finger.

Another aspect to consider is that this stretchy structure could be softer, creating a more comfortable Galaxy Ring than the first-gen. The flexible inner ring may also let consumers switch their device to another finger if they prefer. The patent details that the inner, resizing layer will press against the outer ring that seemingly remains a static size.

Of course, this is likely done to ensure the device can still read your vitals accurately for data collection and display.

It's unclear when we'll see this type of Galaxy Ring debut. However, considering Samsung originally filed this patent in 2023 and republished it in October 2024, perhaps there's hope.

When Samsung launched the original Galaxy Ring in U.S. ring sizes ranging from 5 to 13. As Galaxy Club also notes, a more flexible, restructuring device could reduce the need for multiple device sizes.

There's very little information about a potential Galaxy Ring 2, but that's not stopping us from dreaming. One of the downsides of the original Galaxy Ring is its limited fitness tracking capabilities. Simply put, the device had a polling rate issue as it only records heart rate data once every ten minutes — in the interest of saving power. It creates an inconsistent workout experience that might turn down those looking for a serious fitness-tracking ring.

If this design moves ahead, hopefully, Samsung will introduce a more fitness-data-conscious Galaxy Ring. But we're likely far away from seeing a next-gen ring as the O.G. just launched this summer.

• Fitness tracker deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon | Dell

What you need to know

• Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring for the masses across regions in July this year, including the U.S.
• The company is now expanding the smart ring's availability to the Indian market.
• It comes with launch offers and takes on counterparts like Helio Ring in the country.

While Samsung was late to the smart ring party with its introduction early this year, it did release it a couple of months ago. It was first available for the masses in select countries, including the U.S. The Korean tech giant now has plans to expand the availability of the Galaxy Ring, and it begins in India.

Samsung India has announced that the Galaxy Ring is now available in the Indian market. It retails for Rs 38,999 (~$465).

"With Galaxy Ring, we're paving the way for a healthier, more connected future for all," said Aditya Babbar, vice president of MX Business at Samsung India, in the announcement blog post.

Users interested in getting it can buy it from the Samsung site, which is coupled with Amazon and Flipkart's e-commerce platforms. It will be available in three color choices: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold. The company is also providing a sizing kit for users to verify their preferred ring size before purchasing the Galaxy Ring, which comes in nine different sizes ranging from Size 5 to Size 13.

While users can buy the Galaxy Ring through EMI options in the country, as part of the launch offers, until October 18, they can get a 25W travel adapter for free with the purchase of the smart ring.

The smart ring category has been on the rise lately in different growing markets. It is encouraging to see the Galaxy Ring's expansion in India alongside counterparts like Amazfit's Helio Ring, which has also recently become available in the country.

Galaxy Ring offers 24/7 health monitoring and weighs up to three grams only. It has a titanium finish featuring a concave design and is IP68 and 10ATM water and dust-resistant. It is further powered by Health AI, which delivers real-time insights into your health data through the Samsung Health app. The Galaxy Ring offers generous health tracking features, which, needless to say, work effectively when paired with a Samsung phone.

• Fitness tracker deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon | Dell

Smartwatches are still popular, but there's a new wearable sheriff in town: the smart ring. As the next evolution in health wearables, they are great supplements to smartwatches, providing additional tracking for comparative purposes, maybe even capturing data your smartwatch doesn't (or when your smartwatch's battery dies). But some people prefer wearing them in place of a smartwatch for a distraction-free experience.

Whatever the desire, the latest and most premium smart rings can track so much in the small circular design that you wear around your index, middle, or ring finger. This includes everything from workouts to detailed sleep analysis, vitals, and more. They usually offer great battery life, anywhere from 4 or 5 days to up a week or more. And you probably forget you're even wearing it.

Oura, is of course, the benchmark in this category, but other big brands have been getting in on the fun, too, like Samsung. Then, there are third-party brands that offer some enticing options. The best all-around smart ring you can buy is the Oura Ring 4. But the one downside is that it requires a subscription to get the most out of it. So, we have lined up some subscription-free alternatives for you as well.

At a glance

Best overall

If you don't already have the Oura Ring Gen 3 and want to pick up an Oura ring, get the new Ring 4. It takes what was already great of the Gen 3 and adds more finesse to it. It comes in more sizes, the health tracking is even better, and it feels more comfortable and premium than before thanks to the tweaked design.

Sleep tracking is one of its strong points, which is great since some people prefer not to wear smartwatches to sleep. Thanks to its snug fit on your finger, the Oura Ring 4 is great at tracking sleep, determining what stages you're in throughout the night, and logging detected movements. Sleep tracking is detailed, and while there's no sleep apnea detection, it provides enough information to help users self-diagnose.

Beyond sleep tracking, the Ring 4 can automatically detect certain activities like running, gardening, and even dancing. Yes, dancing. In the years that I've used the ring, I'm always surprised to see it ping my phone after a party, asking if I had been dancing at a certain time. It can track other activities with distinct movements, too, like strength training and boxing.

The Oura Ring 4 monitors your temperature, which can help detect illnesses or even track menstrual cycles. All this information adds to your Readiness score, which will help you determine how ready you are for the day and what you can do to improve your daily readiness. The best part is that Oura syncs with Health Connect and apps like Strava. Plus, it lasts a full week on a single charge, meaning you rarely have to remember to charge it.

Ladies will love new features like pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause symptom logging. Along with the traditional design, which is titanium all around, there's also a new ceramic option. And while it comes with a standard flat charger, Oura now offers an optional charging case for use on the go. You might not even need it, however, since this ring lasts for up to a week per charge.

Unfortunately, to get the most out of the Oura Ring experience, you'll have to subscribe to a membership. It only costs about $6 a month, but it's still an extra financial burden you'll have to take into account.

Best runner-up

RingConn is a relatively unknown company, but its products are surprisingly solid. The RingConn Gen 2 launched in 2024, and while it's mostly similar to its predecessor, it comes with some welcome additions that make it a great option if you're looking for a smart ring that doesn't require a subscription.

Where most smart rings go for a circular design, the RingConn Gen 2 has a squircle shape, which looks rather fresh. And even with how glossy the silver model I tested is, the finish doesn't scratch or scuff nearly as easily as the Oura Ring, which is a plus for people who like to work out or perform other activities with their ring on.

Another thing the RingConn Gen 2 Smart Ring has going for itself is battery life. Lasting as long as 12 days, you can go nearly two weeks without worrying about charging it, and when you do, you can use the charging case that you can also carry around (although it's too big for most pockets).

The app experience is pretty intuitive, providing easy-to-read visual representations of your daily progress compared to the day before, as well as your various health metrics. You'll also enjoy the timeline feature that logs various events that you can easily track. The ring can track certain workouts, but it doesn't do it automatically, and the options are limited.

Sleep tracking is one of the ring's strong points, as it is capable of sleep apnea monitoring, which should help users who worry that they might suffer from the condition or help those that do keep track of any improvements. Unfortunately, this drains the battery quite a bit.

Read more: RingConn Gen 2 Smart Ring review

Best for fitness

Amazfit makes some of the best Android smartwatches on the market, so it only made sense for the company to launch its own smart ring. The Amazfit Helio Ring is a decent first effort, and while it falls short on some features, the company makes up for it with a good design and some compelling health and fitness features. Plus, it looks like the Amazfit is welcoming feedback and making changes accordingly, which is a very good sign.

The Helio Ring features a sturdy design, which, in my use, felt like the most durable option out of the smart rings I've tested. While there's only one finish, the brushed metal actually fares well when wearing the ring during workouts, which is more than I can say for the Oura Ring.

While Amazfit says there's no automatic workout detection, the ring does passively log certain activity types in the calorie section of the app, which I find interesting. It tells me if I was on a "light walk" or doing a "light activity," or if I was walking faster than usual, it would say as much. However, these aren't logged as workouts like the app would do with an Amazfit smartwatch. This ring, however, is designed mostly for running, tracking detailed running stats. If you're a runner, then, it's a good option to consider.

Speaking of, the Helio Ring is best used with an Amazfit smartwatch. This is because the ring can't log many workout types on its own, so the Amazfit app uses AI to merge data from both the ring and watch to give you a comprehensive view of your day. You can also choose to only collect heart rate data from the ring if you prefer.

The downside is that you would need to purchase a separate device to take advantage of these features. Additionally, the Amazfit Helio Ring has the shortest battery life of smart rings we've tested at just four days. Still, since reviewing the Helio Ring, Amazfit has dropped the price of the ring, added a new size (bringing it to three), and got rid of its subscriptions, meaning you can take advantage of all its features for free.

Read more: Amazfit Helio Ring

Best for sleep

Smartwatches aren't the most comfortable when it comes to sleep tracking, which is where smart rings like the Ultrahuman Ring Air come in. This smart ring has a comfortable design that makes it easy to wear all day and night, ensuring you can get the full range of your health metrics when you're awake or asleep.

When it comes to sleep tracking, the Ultrahuman Ring Air not only provides insights into your sleep stages throughout the night, but it also tells you how well you slept based on factors like your body temperature, restfulness, efficiency, and more. The ring will even track your "Tosses and Turns," which can also provide insights into your sleep quality and the impact that stress or other factors may have.

The ring also takes how much you've slept into account with a Sleep Debt feature. This establishes a baseline for you based on your patterns and calculates the difference between this and the amount of sleep you've actually received. This is a good way to know if you've fallen behind and need to take time to catch up on your sleep by getting in a nap.

In his Ultrahuman Ring Air review, Michael Hicks says the ring provided him with actionable data for a concerning metric that he would have otherwise ignored since he does not like wearing smartwatches to bed. To him, this makes the ring worth the initial high price.

The defining feature is called PowerPlugs in the app, which allow you to personalize the experience by adding tracking and notifications for things like caffeine window, circadian rhythm, even shift work or pregnancy. One of these is Afib detection, though that one requires a small monthly subscription fee to log. More recently, the ring adds advanced snoring and coughing analytics through a Respiratory Health PowerPlug that costs $4/mo. if you want to take advantage of it.

Aside from sleep tracking, the Ultrahuman Ring Air also comes with up to six days of battery life, which is pretty respectable, and some workout tracking. Hicks says that you may become annoyed with the flurry of notifications, especially the more PowerPlugs you add. The step tracking is fairly unreliable as well, he found. The ring is also pricey, but at least there's no subscription unless you want advanced metrics like Afib detection or cardio adaptability.

Read more: Ultrahuman Ring Air review

Best phone integration

Samsung is probably the biggest name to enter the smart ring game, and while the Galaxy Ring is far from perfect, it has the benefit of being part of the Galaxy ecosystem. As such, the ring connects to Samsung Health and uses Samsung's Galaxy AI to provide insights into your health via a sleep score and readiness score.

The Galaxy Ring has automatic workout detection, something you don't find on too many smart rings, although it's pretty limited. You also have get a sleep score based on your sleep quality, and when combined with your other activities and metrics, the Samsung Health app will provide you a Wellness Score. The app uses Galaxy AI to analyze your metrics and suggest ways you can improve them. However, the ring goes beyond just health tracking.

Samsung is the only major smartphone manufacturer to have a smart ring, so it makes sense for the company to figure out a clever way to make the most out of this. That's where gestures come in, which allow you to control certain functions on your phone by performing certain movements with your finger. So, by just pinching your designated ring finger with your thumb twice, you can utilize remote capture functions with the camera. You can also snooze alarms without touching your phone.

In his Galaxy Ring review, Android Central senior editor Nick Sutrich notes that these are cool features, but they only work for very specific circumstances and are limited to Samsung phones. He complains about this limitation with Galaxy AI insights as well, meaning you'll need a Samsung phone with Galaxy AI capabilities to get the most out of the Samsung Ring.

Despite the high price, Samsung does not charge for a subscription, which should help soften the blow. The ring has decent battery life and even comes with a cool charging case.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Ring review

Best value

While RingConn's second-generation smart ring is better in a lot of ways, the first-gen RingConn Smart Ring is still an impressive device. It gets up to seven days of battery life and comes with a charging case you can carry around. It also comes in various sizes and a few different finishes, so you'll likely find one that fits (literally) your style.

The RingConn Smart Ring uses the same companion app as the second-gen model, which is great because the app is quite informative and makes it easy to see your daily metrics or compare them to the previous day. You also get "medals" based on certain activities or milestones that you hit, which is pretty motivational.

While most smart rings start at $299, the RingConn Smart Ring is available for $279, which is kind of a steal when you consider there's no subscription involved, meaning you'll have access to all the available features.

Unfortunately, the ring lacks certain features I'd love to see, such as automatic workout detection and support for Health Connect (although Google Fit is supported). The available workout modes are also fairly limited, but the ring supports major ones like running, cycling, and the treadmill.

If you won't want to spring for the more expensive Gen 2 Smart Ring, the first-gen is worth the spend.

Read more: RingConn Smart Ring review

Honorable mentions

The above options are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to smart rings. There are many other offerings out there, including some we have not yet tested but hope to. This includes a smart ring focused on women's health, another with haptic feedback, and even some with NFC.

As such, it's worth pointing out some of these other options in case the above did not quite tickle your fancy. We've tested one of them, and I've looked into quite a few of these in my research and feel comfortable highlighting them.

• Back to the top ^

How to choose

So, with the growing number of smart rings out there, how do you know which one is right for you?

First, decide what you actually want the ring to accomplish. Most smart rings come with the basics, such as heart rate tracking, blood oxygen, sleep monitoring, and temperature sensing. However, you have to look at the extra health tracking features these rings offer and how the data is being used. For example, the Oura Ring and Evie Ring use metrics such as temperature sensing to help track menstrual cycles, which could be beneficial to those who experience periods.

If you want to use the ring to track workout data and aid with recovery, you'll want a ring that is not only well-built with good water resistance but also features automatic tracking, meaning you're spending less time looking at your phone. The Oura Ring, Galaxy Ring, and Amazfit Helio Ring all feature this to some extent (and at differing levels).

Price is a big factor when choosing a smart ring. They cost roughly as much as a smartwatch but can be priced even higher. Sometimes, the upfront cost can seem unwieldy, but in most cases, that's the only price you'll pay. In other cases, like with Oura, you'll also have to consider the monthly subscription cost, which is admittedly fairly low at $6 per month, but it's still something to consider.

Last, you may want to consider if you want to buy a smart ring to replace or supplement your smartwatch. Smart rings come with a lot of health tracking features, but their functionality is somewhat limited compared to a smartwatch. On the other hand, they're much less distracting and good at capturing the main metrics, including heart rate and sleep. Some rings, like the Galaxy Ring and Helio Ring, will merge data from smartwatches of the same brand, which helps give you a better overview of your health. Others rings, like the Oura Ring, can also sync with Health Connect or Apple Health, which is also helpful in this regard.

How we test

Smart rings are relatively new to the scene, but we started reviewing them in 2021. Like all other products we test, from Android phones to smartwatches, we typically spend a couple of weeks with the devices before we give our final thoughts on it. Sometimes, we'll publish an initial review with early impressions up to a week after we receive a product, then test it for an additional few weeks before publishing the full review. This way, you can be sure you're getting our full experience with a product.

We will wear the ring and go about our normal routines, for the most part. That includes exercising or running errands so that the ring can capture as much data throughout the day and night. We may also test multiple rings at the same time if we want to compare how they capture metrics such as step counts (using a manual step counter), heart rate (starting and stopping workouts at the same time), and more.

Testing a smart ring for a couple of weeks at a time also ensures that we can evaluate the battery life and charging speed, as these devices often last for up to a week or more on a single charge. This also gives the ring time to calibrate to our baseline metrics.

No product is perfect, and we remain honest in all of our reviews. A product may get a high rating but may not be perfect for everyone, or it may get a low score but still have some redeeming qualities that some potential buyers may like. We try to keep this in mind when reviewing smart rings, and this is reflected in our reviews.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly adding sizes 14 and 15 to the Galaxy Ring, making it more inclusive for larger fingers.
• Rumor has it these new sizes could drop in the next few weeks, but no official release date yet.
• Originally launched in February with sizes 5 to 13, the new options will appeal to a broader audience.

Samsung is tipped to make the Galaxy Ring even more versatile by adding two new size options, 14 and 15, so more people can actually get a ring that fits.

When the Galaxy Ring made its debut in February with sizes 5 to 13, people with larger fingers were out of luck. But now Samsung is about to roll out more sizes, making the ring more inclusive for everyone (via 9to5Google) if a new tip on X from leaker Max Jambor is to be believed.

Samsung’s supposed decision to expand the Galaxy Ring’s size range is a smart play to boost its market reach. Since not everyone has the same hand size, this move is bound to make the ring more appealing to a broader crowd.

According to the tipster, sizes 14 and 15 for the Galaxy Ring might drop in the next few weeks. However, Samsung has not officially announced a release date for these new options.

If you're eyeing the Galaxy Ring but unsure about the size, Samsung’s got a handy sizing kit to help. Since the ring's sensors can make your usual ring size a bit tricky, the kit includes samples of all the available sizes. It’s definitely worth trying out to find the perfect fit before you buy.

The Galaxy Ring is packed with health-tracking features, letting users keep tabs on their well-being around the clock. We weren't particularly impressed with the company's efforts in our Samsung Galaxy Ring review, but most of the issues are software-related, meaning Samsung could eventually iron them out via updates.

Even with all its high-tech features, it’s super light, weighing just 2.3 to 3.0 grams, making it comfortable for all-day wear.

Beyond the size updates, Samsung is also said to be expanding the Galaxy Ring's reach. Pre-registrations are kicking off in Mexico, and Brazilians can already pre-order the ring, as per SamMobile.

In Brazil, the Galaxy Ring is set to hit the market on October 19, with pre-orders closing a day earlier. However, would-be Mexican customers will have to wait a bit longer for their turn.

The Galaxy Ring comes in three colors: Titanium Black, Titanium Gold, and Titanium Silver. No matter which size or color you choose, it’s priced at $400 across the board.

After years of rumors, Samsung's first smart ring is finally here. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is thinner and lighter than most smart rings, plus it's got deep tie-ins with Samsung Galaxy phones and Galaxy Watches.

But a new smart device can be overwhelming at first, especially if you've never used a smart ring before. Never fear, for our Galaxy Ring tips and tricks guide is here to set you on the right path to getting the most out of your Galaxy Ring right away. I spent well over a month putting together the Samsung Galaxy Ring review, and I've learned a few things from using the ring that I'll pass on to you.

Here are the first 13 things you should do with your new Samsung Galaxy Ring.

Wear it right

Before you do anything, you'll want to make sure you understand how to wear the Galaxy Ring correctly. While this sounds silly at first, the Ring's orientation on your finger actually does matter. That's because the sensors inside the Galaxy Ring are designed to be worn on the underside of your finger for the most accurate measurements.

When wearing your Galaxy Ring, ensure that the indicator line sits roughly at the mid-point on the underside of your finger. If you need a visual, the image above should help it make sense. Check on your ring periodically throughout the day to ensure this indicator line is on the underside of your finger to ensure the most accurate measurements.

Enable gestures

One of the Samsung Galaxy Ring's coolest features is totally unique among the best smart rings available, but it's also only available when you pair a Galaxy Ring with the best Samsung phones running One UI 6.1.1 and higher. That's because Samsung bakes these features into its OS at the system level.

Gestures let you quickly dismiss an alarm with a double-pinch of your fingers. You can also take a picture remotely with the same gesture, making it easy to prop your phone against something and get a group photo with everyone in it.

Note that you cannot enable gestures on both the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring, so you'll need to choose between the two. Here's how to enable gestures on your Galaxy Ring.

1. Open the Galaxy Wearables app. On Samsung phones, this app is just called Wearables.
2. If you have multiple Galaxy wearable devices, select Galaxy Ring. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.
3. At the bottom of the main screen, tap Gestures.
4. Select with gestures you'd like to enable by tapping the toggle next to each option.
5. To test out each feature, tap the name of the feature and follow the on-screen prompts.

Find your lost Ring

Another feature unique to the Samsung Galaxy Ring is the ability to remotely find it. The Galaxy Wearables app can be used to blink the LEDs on the underside—making it easy to find if it got dropped under a couch or something—and pairing it with a Samsung Galaxy phone will even let you track the Ring's last known location.

On a Samsung phone, you'll want to make sure to open the Find app and walk through the initial setup process. This will let you find any Samsung device you lose.

If you lose your Ring, we have a guide on how to find your lost Galaxy Ring, but here's a brief synopsis:

1. Open the Galaxy Wearables app. On Samsung phones, this app is just called Wearables.
2. If you have multiple Galaxy wearable devices, select Galaxy Ring. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.
3. At the bottom of the main screen, tap Find my Ring.
4. On a non-Samsung Android phone, you can hit the Start button to illuminate the lights inside of the Ring. This can help find the Ring if it's in a dark place.
5. On a Samsung Galaxy phone, you'll be taken to the Samsung Find app where you can view a map of the last known location of your Galaxy Ring. Additionally, you can illuminate the LEDs inside the Ring to help find it once you've arrived at the location.

Extend battery life

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is built to be charged only once per week, but did you know that you can extend that time even further? When you wear a Galaxy Ring and a Galaxy Watch at the same time—like the Galaxy Watch Ultra or Galaxy Watch 7, for example—the Samsung Health app will only use the sensors on the Watch.

Since many people take off their watches from time to time but typically leave their rings on, this ensures that 24/7 health tracking can take place without wasting the battery life of both devices. You don't need to configure anything for this to happen. Just ensure you have your Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring are paired to the same phone with the same Samsung account.

Get to know the charging case

Like a pair of wireless earbuds, the Samsung Galaxy Ring ships with a handy charging case to ensure you can easily keep it juiced up on the go. The charging case has its own battery that is designed to keep your Galaxy Ring charged for an extra two weeks beyond the one-week battery life of the Ring, but there are a few important things to know about the case.

When you open the case without the Galaxy Ring inside, a circular LED strip around the inside will light up to show the battery percentage. This is displayed in a circle, so a full circle is 100% charged while and empty circle is fully emptied. Pressing the button inside the middle of the Ring pedestal will also illuminate this charging LED ring in case you missed it while opening.

Opening the case with the Ring on the pedestal will illuminate to show the Ring's remaining battery percentage. We recommend closing the case, then opening it again to ensure that you're looking at either the Ring or the case's battery life.

I've had a number of times where I put the Galaxy Ring in the case, only to come back an hour later and find that it hadn't charged. To ensure this doesn't happen to you, make sure you open the case, wait until the case LED battery lights turn off, then put your Ring in and wait for the case to show the Ring's battery life. Occasionally, I found that flipping the Ring over would help ensure that it's charging.

Configure inactivity alerts

Like other wearables, the Galaxy Ring can be used to deliver notifications to periodically stand up or walk around every 50 minutes via the Samsung Health app. But these notifications can be frustrating when you're trying to work, are in a meeting or a class where you can't stand up and walk around, or even downright offensive if you're physically unable to stand up.

That's why configuring inactivity alerts is important. By default, they're enabled during "non-work hours," defined as 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. You can customize this period to better fit your needs by following these steps:

1. Open the Galaxy Wearables app. On Samsung phones, this app is just called Wearables.
2. If you have multiple Galaxy wearable devices, select Galaxy Ring. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.
3. Tap Health Settings.
4. At the bottom, tap the toggle next to inactive time to enable or disable the feature.
5. To customize the time when alerts are not issued, select the inactive time feature.
6. Select the days and time frame you want inactive time to be disabled during. If you want to disable inactivity alerts completely, change the start time to 12:00 AM and the end time to 11:59 PM.

Setup automatic workout tracking

The Samsung Galaxy Ring isn't really built for working out, but it can be used to automatically detect some kinds of workouts. At launch, the Galaxy Ring can automatically track and log any walking or running workouts you might do throughout the day, making it a helpful partner in 24/7 health tracking.

Tracked workouts can be found in the Samsung Health app, but to get those workouts tracked in the first place, you'll need to enable the features. Here's how to do that.

1. Open the Galaxy Wearables app. On Samsung phones, this app is just called Wearables.
2. If you have multiple Galaxy wearable devices, select Galaxy Ring. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.
3. Tap Health Settings.
4. Tap Activities to detect under the auto detect workouts heading.
5. Tap the toggle next to any activities you want the Ring to automatically detect and track. At launch, only walking and running are supported.

If you want to see your tracked workouts, open the Samsung Health app, scroll down to and tap Workouts this week, then look through the list to see any automatically tracked workouts and tap them for more details.

Predict your period

One of the cooler trends in modern smart wearables is the ability to automatically detect different health conditions. The Samsung Galaxy Ring supports automatic period tracking and can even predict when your next period will start by using the Ring's advanced skin temperature sensors.

To use this, you'll need to wear the Ring to sleep and ensure the automatic period prediction feature is enabled. Here's how to enable it:

1. Open the Galaxy Wearables app. On Samsung phones, this app is just called Wearables.
2. If you have multiple Galaxy wearable devices, select Galaxy Ring. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.
3. Tap Health Settings.
4. Tap Predict period with skin temp.
5. Enter the date of your last period by tapping the start and end date in the calendar that appears.
6. On the next screen, select the number of days you average between each period.
7. Accept the disclaimer after reading.
8. Period tracking can be disabled by tapping the toggle next to the feature under Galaxy Ring health settings.

Take the step count challenge

In our testing, we found that the Samsung Galaxy Ring was one of the most accurate step-count trackers you can buy. But while step tracking can be a fun game to play every day, it's even more fun when you can play it alongside friends. You can issue individual challenges to friends, either to get to a certain step count first or get the most steps in any given period of time.

Peer pressure can be good sometimes, and this is certainly one of them. Here's how to issue step challenges to your friends:

1. Open the Samsung Health app.
2. Tap the My Page tab on the bottom right of the app.
3. Tap the three dot menu at the top right, then tap Settings.
4. Scroll down to and tap Together.
5. Tap the toggle to enable the Together feature.
6. Select Get Started, then accept the required permissions to allow Samsung Health to connect to your contacts. This will allow the app to know which of your friends is also enrolled in the Together program.
7. From the list, select friends you want to challenge. If they don't have the setting enabled, an invitation will be sent so they can sign up.

Once you've enabled Together, you'll be able to issue challenges and see the leaderboard on the Together tab on bottom of the main screen of the Samsung Health app. You can issue individual challenges to friends daily by selecting their name in the list, then tapping the Create challenges button, followed by selecting a step-counting challenge. Each challenge has a start date and a goal.

Get better sleep tracking

One of the key features of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is its ability to track sleep since it's so darn comfortable to wear to bed—unlike a smart watch. But only basic sleep tracking features are enabled out of the box. Things like blood oxygen monitoring, skin temperature during sleep, and even snore detection all have to be enabled manually.

Here's how to enable advanced sleep tracking on a Samsung Galaxy Ring:

1. Open the Galaxy Wearables app. On Samsung phones, this app is just called Wearables.
2. If you have multiple Galaxy wearable devices, select Galaxy Ring. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.
3. Tap Health Settings.
4. Select Sleep.
5. Turn on any advanced features you want to monitor.
6. To use Snore detection, you'll need to accept the microphone permissions and keep your phone near you while sleeping. Ideally, your phone can be placed on a nightstand near your bed.

Heart rate alerts

At its core, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is a heart rate monitoring tool. While it can't detect AFib, it can alert you if your heart rate gets too low or too high unintentionally. By default, the Ring is designed to deliver a notification via the Samsung Health app when your heart rate stays above 120 BPM or goes below 40 BPM for longer than 10 minutes.

Since everyone's health is a bit different, you might need to customize these numbers, or you might want to turn the feature off entirely. Here's how to do that:

1. Open the Galaxy Wearables app. On Samsung phones, this app is just called Wearables.
2. If you have multiple Galaxy wearable devices, select Galaxy Ring. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.
3. Tap Health Settings.
4. Select Heart rate alert.
5. Tap High HR to change the rate by intervals of 10. You can also tap the toggle to turn the high heart rate alert off.
6. Tap Low HR to change the rate by intervals of 10. You can also tap the toggle to turn the low heart rate alert off.

Make the Samsung Health dashboard yours

The Samsung Health app is a powerful tool for organizing many different health metrics in one place, but it can be a bit overwhelming for new users. Samsung tries to make this better by asking you for your focus during the initial setup, and while that helps, not everything in the default layout will be useful for everyone.

That's why customizing the layout is great. If you're a runner or regularly work out, you might want the workout panel right up top so you can quickly see it eery day. Or maybe you just prefer to use your Galaxy Ring for sleep tracking and don't care about much else. Here's how to customize the Samsung Health dashboard:

1. Open the Samsung Health app.
2. Press and hold any tile on the home screen to bring up the editing function.
3. Press and hold any tile and slide it up or down in the list to move it around.
4. Tap the minus button next to any tile to remove it from the list.
5. Tap the plus button in the top right to add additional tiles to the list.

Setup Health Connect

The beauty of Android is that you can mix and match any company's devices to meet your needs, so while you have a Samsung Galaxy Ring, you might prefer OnePlus Buds Pro 3 earbuds or a Garmin Venu 3 smartwatch over Samsung's options. Google Health Connect lets you take all the data your health-conscious devices generate and aggregate them all in one place, making it easy to get a fuller overall picture of your health.

Health Connect isn't just a simple data aggregation service, either. It's a bespoke platform to bring together advanced fitness data, including powerful metrics like basal metabolic rate, oxygen saturation, VO2 max, and other data your smart devices allow you to measure.

Once apps like Samsung Health have access to this data, they can use it to create a more accurate overall health profile of you and give you better recommendations for how to stay healthy. Here's how to link apps together through Google Health Connect:

1. Open the Samsung Health app.
2. Tap the My Page tab on the bottom right of the app.
3. Tap the three dot menu at the top right, then tap Settings.
4. Scroll down to and tap Health Connect.
5. If you haven't previously set up Health Connect before, tap the Get started button.
6. Tap App permissions, then find and tap Samsung Health in the list.
7. You can tap Allow all to give Samsung Health access to all supported health metric options, or scroll down and individually select what you want to share with Samsung Health.
8. Close the app when you're done.

I've never been a person who enjoys wearing a watch. Even though I've used dozens of smartwatches over the years, I seldom wear one all day long. That's where the idea of a smart ring comes in for me. As someone who already wears a wedding band every day and finds it comfortable, I had hoped a smart ring would feel like the ideal form factor when compared to cumbersome fitness straps or bulky watches.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is the latest smart ring to try to woo customers with its concept, which started in 2015 with the release of the first-generation Oura Ring. But if you were hoping to replace your smartwatch with the Galaxy Ring, you're going to need to temper your expectations.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is designed for 24/7 health tracking and little else. It'll automatically track walking, running, and even sleeping, but while Samsung's Health software gives you lots of data, I'm not sure I trust most of it. It lacks AFib detection, something the Ultrahuman Ring Air recently added, making it mostly useless for 24/7 heart rate monitoring. Even the "find my ring" feature only really works on Samsung Galaxy phones, a hugely missed opportunity for Samsung to one-up the competition.

Samsung has a lot of improvements to make but, thankfully, all of them are software-related and could be addressed in the future through updates. Samsung doesn't charge a monthly subscription like Oura, but without any kind of meaningful heart monitoring data and no real support for working out with the ring, I'm not sure what the point of wearing one is.

About this review

I've been using the Galaxy Ring for five weeks as of the publishing of the final review on August 30, 2024. My gold size 10 Galaxy Ring has been paired with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra running One UI 6.1, as well as a number of non-Samsung devices like the OnePlus 12 and CMF Phone 1.

Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is available for $399 and comes in three classic ring colors: silver, gold, and black. Initial orders were back ordered due to popularity but Samsung ramped up production substantially to meet demand. The Galaxy Ring currently takes a few weeks to ship out once ordered.

To purchase a Galaxy Ring, you'll first need to spend $10 on a sizing kit. That comes with a $10 credit towards the purchase of a Galaxy Ring, so the sizing kit is effectively free once you buy a Ring. You can also find a sizing kit available at some Best Buy locations for free, so you may want to call around first before ordering a kit. Samsung makes Galaxy Rings in standard ring sizes 5–13.

Unlike its biggest competitor, the Oura Ring Gen 3, the Galaxy Ring doesn't require a monthly subscription to access your data. All that is handled through the Samsung Health app, which works with any Android phone. Samsung Galaxy phones with Galaxy AI built-in, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, will get extra insights for their data powered by Galaxy AI when paired with the Galaxy Ring. Additionally, you'll only get full ring tracking functionality and ring gestures when paired with a Samsung phone.

Hardware and design

If I could get true feature parity, I'd swap out a smartwatch for a smart ring nearly any day of the week. Except for some kinds of workouts, a smart ring is a significantly more comfortable device to wear 24/7 than a smartwatch.

Samsung's hardware design is largely excellent, stuffing a battery and tons of tech into a svelte ~2.6mm thick ring. This is notably thicker than some standard rings — like my gold wedding band — but it's not so thick as to feel more noticeable on my finger than a standard ring.

On release, Samsung was the thinnest smart ring until the RingConn Gen 2 came out just two weeks later. Unlike that ring, though, the Galaxy Ring is a perfect circle, while RingConn opted for a more unique squircle design.

The Galaxy Ring features a concave design that helps make the ring look thinner than it actually is, and the titanium construction is impressively light but I'm not fully convinced of its durability. The concave design helps keep the center from getting scratched but it doesn't do so much for the edges.

After 5 weeks of use, the ring looks like it's seen 20 years of wear and tear. My 16-year-old gold wedding band looks in far better shape, for reference.

I ran a Spartan Race with the ring in early August because I wanted to see how it held up during an event that mostly consisted of running and walking with obstacles thrown in every few hundred meters. The result was less than excellent on all counts—which I'll detail further in the health tracking section below.

The biggest issue here isn't the questionable durability. It's the fact that smart rings aren't repairable.

On the underside, you'll find an orientation indicator letting you know how to wear the ring. This line should always line up with the middle of the underside of your finger as it ensures the Ring's sensors are in the most optimal place. I would regularly check to make sure this indicator was in the right place and found it usually needed a few rotational fixes throughout the day.

The Ring fit nicely on the middle finger of my right hand where I found that particular finger shape to be better for wearing a ring than my index finger. It's more comfortable, overall, but it also doesn't get in the way like it would when I tried to wear it on my index finger.

Samsung recommends wearing it either on the index or middle fingers if you want to use the gesture feature, so this is right in line with expectations. Gestures are something unique to the Galaxy Ring and an advantage Samsung has over competitors, but they only work when paired with a supported Samsung Galaxy phone.

Aside from being exclusive to newer Galaxy phones, it's also worth noting that there are only two main gestures right now: take a photo, and stop an alarm on your phone. To perform either of these actions, you'll double-tap your ring-wearing finger and thumb together in the air as if you're pinching something twice.

While these are cool to use in very specific circumstances, they're not product-selling features by any means.

Samsung also supports a "find my ring" feature that works identically to other Samsung Galaxy devices. Open the Galaxy Wearables app, then tap find on the main menu. The app will give you a rough location of where the Ring is—or where it was last detected if it's not in your general vicinity—including a handy GPS map using Bluetooth for local location, but this functionality only works on Samsung Galaxy phones.

The Galaxy Ring doesn't vibrate or make noise, which means that it doesn't support notifications. That also means that it's a little difficult to find, especially if it fell between the couch cushions or rolled under something like a fridge or stove.

The app lets you rapidly blink the lights on the Galaxy Ring's sensors but this is only useful at night or in a dark room. The lights simply aren't bright enough to be seen during the day or in any type of bright lighting.

As I previously noted, this functionality only works on Samsung Galaxy phones. The Samsung Find app is exclusive to the Galaxy Store. Sideloading the APK doesn't work either as it requires hooks found in Samsung's One UI to work.

Samsung could have made it work with Google's latest Find My Device upgrade — many other Samsung devices do — but it woke up and chose violence. The best you'll be able to do with a non-Samsung phone is blink the Ring's lights which, as I pointed out, is mostly useless.

Still, other smart rings don't have a "find my" feature at all, so any way to find your lost Ring is an advantage for Samsung, even with its limitations.

Battery and charging

One of the main reasons to choose a smart ring over a smartwatch is battery life. Most of the best smartwatches need to be charged daily, while some fitness-focused options like the Garmin Forerunner 965 can last 1-3 weeks depending on how often you use GPS tracking.

My Galaxy Ring lasted 6-7 full days on any given charge. In the initial review, I noted that the Ring had 10% left at the end of the 6th day, which is plenty to still perform sleep tracking that night.

The remaining battery percentage can be tracked both on the Galaxy Wearables app and with the Ring itself. Just take off the ring and look at the indicator LEDs inside for a few seconds. They'll flash green indicating the battery percentage left in 25% increments. Four flashes mean between 75%-100% battery is left, three flashes for 50%-75%, etc.

Samsung highlights that a Galaxy Ring and a Galaxy Watch can be used in conjunction for the most accurate health tracking and better overall battery life. But it feels like Samsung got things backwards with the battery portion of this equation.

When you wear a Galaxy Ring and a Galaxy Watch at the same time, the Ring's health sensors go to sleep to save battery life. To me, this makes no sense at all. It should be the other way around since you normally need to charge a smartwatch every day, whereas the Galaxy Ring has week-long battery life with normal use.

Samsung seriously needs to rethink how this works, as it would make a lot more sense to save battery life on the watch by using the Ring's health tracking sensors, instead.

Like the best earbuds, you'll charge your Galaxy Ring using the included charging case. This case has its own battery with enough capacity for several full Ring charges. It also charges via USB-C, so it's convenient to quickly charge and take on the go with you if you need it.

The case itself is a bit tech chic, with a transparent, flashy design including a ring of LEDs that illuminate when opening the hinge. This ring is used to display the case's remaining battery life, and tapping the button can also initiate pairing.

Like many Samsung devices these days, though, charging the Galaxy Ring is abysmally slow. A 30-minute charge resulted in a measly 50% Ring charge, while it took a full hour to top-up the tiny ~20mAh battery. No doubt, Samsung makes the charging so painfully slow in an effort to prolong battery longevity but at least you only need to charge it once per week.

Not only that, but I ran into several situations where the ring wouldn't charge at all, even when I thought I had properly mounted it in the case. Part of the confusion comes in the case design. When you open it, the LED ring inside lights up to give you a view of the battery percentage of the case itself. But I often mistook this for the Ring's battery percentage since the LED stays illuminated after I dock the ring.

So instead of charging the Ring, I'd come back after an hour or two to find that nothing at all happened. In all events of this happening, flipping the ring over fixed the charging issue. I'm not sure why charging the ring seems to work on one side but you'll need to pay extra close attention to the app to ensure your ring is actually charging in the case, denoted by a normal charging lightning bolt icon in the Galaxy Wearables app.

Sleep tracking

I hate wearing a watch to sleep. It's not something I do outside of the occasional smartwatch review, so the Galaxy Ring seemed like an ideal way to track sleep. It's incredibly comfortable to wear to bed.

If you've worn a Galaxy Watch to sleep before, expect the same kind of metrics from a Galaxy Ring. That, in and of itself, is a triumph. A smaller, more comfortable device that can get the same kinds of readings for sleep data as a Galaxy Watch Ultra is truly a fantastic proposition.

The problem is that Samsung's sleep data isn't considered the best in the industry by any means, and bands like the Whoop 4.0 or smaller smartwatches like the Pixel Watch 2 deliver far more accurate data.

Of course, much of this is going to come down to alignment and fit. Smartwatches need to be worn fairly tightly in order to get an accurate reading. Move around too much at night with a loose wristband and you might as well just delete the tracking data. Likewise, a Ring that spins or wobbles a lot on your finger won't do you much good.

For this reason, I tried to wear the Ring on several different finders but it didn't seem to affect overall accuracy much. It also doesn't support sleep apnea tracking like the RingConn Gen 2, which means any data it delivers is largely pedestrian in nature. In other words, while this is a nice sleep-tracking device, I wouldn't take its results as Gospel.

The Samsung Health app is chock full of great little details and well-presented information, from the prominent sleep score to the individual metrics and easy-to-read graph that break your sleep down into awake, light, REM, and deep sleep patterns.

Below the sleep score is the breakdown of what metrics fueled the score, including sleep time, physical recovery, restfulness, mental recovery, and sleep cycles. I'm a very light sleeper by nature, and the Ring picked that up handily.

But while I initially felt good about the overall sleep score, diving into the data made me feel less confident in it. I often noticed blips in the graph where no data was collected at all. I assume some of this is down to fit but, like I said previously, I tried wearing it on several different fingers—many of which were an even tighter fit than my middle finger—and still found these weird lapses in data.

Other data points like blood oxygen and skin temperature while sleeping should also be taken with a grain of salt. Skin temperature readings from a finger will be different from a wrist or even a torso band because of their location — some people like heavy, heat-trapping blankets, while others may put their hands under a pillow, both of which could produce inaccurate readings.

Daily energy score is calculated by combining all the available metrics, but my number was never quite accurate because the Ring never successfully detected any of my workouts at the gym, which you'll read about below. If I were going to plan my day around that energy score number—which is the entire purpose of such a score—it's likely I'd have a less active day than I should.

The Energy Score metric isn't exclusive to Samsung phones, thankfully, but you'll only get the Galaxy AI-powered summary at the top when you pair it with specific Samsung phones.

One YouTuber showed how the Galaxy Ring lines up with other bands and watches, putting it in line with the rest of the Galaxy Watch line and right in the middle of most other sleep and fitness-tracking wearables. In short, it's not bad, but it's not great, either.

Fitness tracking

My biggest disappointment with the Galaxy Ring revolves around fitness tracking. I never expected this to replace a smartwatch because of the lack of a screen—I primarily wear a smartwatch while working out to monitor my heart rate—but Samsung's software is seriously lacking some necessary fitness tracking requirements and it makes it nearly useless at a gym.

While going on a neighborhood walk or a hike, heart rate tracking seemed to be accurate compared to my Pixel Watch 2. I was pleasantly surprised at how effortless and transparent tracking was. I also found that the Galaxy Ring was dead-on accurate when using it to track steps, which isn't something I can say about the Pixel Watch 2.

First off, if you're not a runner or don't plan to use the Ring to track a walk or a hike, don't bother getting one. Automatic workouts are only supported for walking or running, and even then, I found that automatic tracking only seemed to work when I walked or ran outside. Even then, shorter 400m runs at the gym—including outdoor runs—were rarely automatically detected.

Let's look at the results from my Spartan Race above. Since there's no way to manually track with a Galaxy Ring, I only have whatever it automatically tracked. During the race, I wore the Samsung Galaxy Ring and Google Pixel Watch 2 on my right hand, while the OnePlus Watch 2 was on my left hand.

The first problem with the Galaxy Ring is the activity time tracked. My actual race time was one hour 22 minutes. Both watches tracked for an hour and a half because I manually started them before the race started while I was waiting at the starting line, but the Galaxy Ring's automatic tracking comes 13 minutes short of my actual movement time.

The second problem is the distance logged. This Spartan Race was the 5k version which equates to 3.1 miles. The Galaxy Ring thought I ran 4.15 miles.

Third is the quality of the data itself. Since the Ring didn't properly track the entire race, the graph technically gets cut off roughly 4/5ths of the way through, but we can at least compare the rest of it. At first, there appears to be no correlation at all between the Galaxy Ring and the two watches, however, a closer inspection shows come similarities.

But even with similar peaks and lows, the numbers from the Galaxy Ring aren't even close to the two watches I wore.

Part of the problem is the polling rate. Heart rate data is only recorded every ten minutes — to save battery — and this doesn't seem to be often enough to detect a workout successfully. Samsung uses other sensors inside to help with detection but they didn't seem to do much good for me.

I go to the gym an average of four times per week—each visit is an hour-long workout at a CrossFit-style gym—but all I saw from the Ring was a blip or two on the heart rate graph showing an elevated number. That was during the best of times. At the worst of times, the Ring didn't grab any heart rate data during my workouts at all.

There's also no way to manually start a workout, which was unbelievable to me.

When I asked Samsung about this, I was told that starting a manual workout from the Samsung Health app should solve my problems. Unfortunately, this didn't work. Any manual workout started from the Samsung Health app never recorded any Ring data. All I got was a generic calorie burn value relative to the workout I chose and the length of the workout.

In other words, I might as well have not even bothered bringing the Galaxy Ring to the gym.

Other smart rings like the Oura Ring Gen 3 do automatic workout detection far better and will regularly detect a workout, then allow you to select its type after the workout was completed. No smart ring is a proper smartwatch replacement for gym-style workouts but Samsung could have done a lot better with the Galaxy Ring's workout tracking functionality.

All in all, I'm not inclined to recommend this Ring as a serious fitness-tracking tool.

Competition

The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a better overall buy than the Galaxy Ring. It's $50 less than the Galaxy Ring and, unlike Oura, has no subscription cost. Our Wearables reviewer Michael Hicks found the sleep tracking data to be quite accurate — unlike my experience with the Galaxy Ring. It even has AFib detection, something that's vitally important in a 24/7 wearable. The downside is that active fitness tracking isn't any better than the Galaxy Ring.

Another excellent alternative is the RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2, which weighs in at $299 and features a unique squircle design. Battery life is 3-4 days longer than the Galaxy Ring, it offers sleep apnea detection, and RingConn offers covers for its rings which can prevent damage while using it during workouts or other times you may be worried about it getting scuffed up. It doesn't give you a "readiness score" like some other rings but I found those kinds of scores to be largely useless, anyway.

Of course, no smart ring review would be complete without mentioning the Oura Ring Gen 3, a ring that feels like a better overall buy for folks who are more serious about fitness tracking with a smart ring. Oura's software does a better job of automatically detecting workouts and gives you far more options for categorization and tracking than Samsung. The big downside is that you'll need a $6/month subscription to access that data.

Should you buy it?

You should buy it if...

• You want a nice-looking ring that does more than look pretty.
• You want a smart ring without the expensive subscription.
• Casual 24/7 health tracking is more important to you than focused fitness or sleep tracking.

You shouldn't buy it if...

• You want a serious fitness-tracking device.
• Your workouts involve more than just walking or running.
• You're trying to replace a smartwatch with a smart ring.

On the surface, the Samsung Galaxy Ring looks like a fantastic first-generation effort. It provides lots of data and features without a monthly subscription requirement. The hardware is sleek, and it's comfortable to wear all day, which is especially important for sleep tracking and automatic exercise detection.

But the health tracking features feel amateur by nearly every measure. Automatic workout tracking is limited in scope to just walking or running and, even then, only works well when doing these activities for long periods and outdoors. Sleep tracking is comfortable but not nearly as accurate as a good smartwatch. Some data is even restricted to users who pair the ring with a Galaxy phone that has Galaxy AI built-in.

While the hardware is stellar, the fitness tracking experience simply isn't ready for primetime. The amount of data you get is superb, but the quality of that data is questionable. Technology enthusiasts will likely be thrilled with the tech packed in the ring, but anyone serious about quality fitness or sleep tracking should look elsewhere.

Smart rings are the ideal form factor, but Samsung's overall execution leaves a lot to be desired. Even as a 24/7 health tracker, other rings do it better because the Galaxy Ring is missing features like AFib or sleep apnea detection. If I had spent $400 of my own money on this ring, I would have returned it already.

Samsung's Galaxy Ring is making a big splash as the first product of its type from a major tech manufacturer. We've seen smart rings before, but none have the ecosystem and brand recognition of a product from a company like Samsung.

And for many people, it's a great product. Like any tech product, it has drawbacks and strengths, but it fills a need for plenty of us. Smart rings are here to stay, at least until something even smaller and more inconspicuous comes along to replace them.

Smart rings are different in another way, too: they're disposable by design. This is not because a company like Samsung or Oura wants to build something with a short, useful life but because there's no way to do it differently.

Imagine a small circuit board, some sensors, a tiny battery, and plenty of epoxy, and you have what's needed to build a smart ring. Over at iFixit, they've taken the time to crack open a Galaxy Ring to demonstrate this, and this is why we love iFixit. What they found shouldn't surprise anyone.

There is no way to service any parts on the Galaxy Ring without ruining it. This isn't unique to Samsung's ring; every other model from any other company is going to be the same. There is no way to pack in the necessary tech and battery to power it and make the device serviceable without making it exorbitantly expensive. You wouldn't pay $800 for a smart ring, and neither would I.

This means more e-waste to deal with, but for us, it's not the big issue. That comes when we think about the lithium battery that powers the thing and how short the lifespan of a lithium battery is.

The warranty period for a Galaxy Ring is 12 months. I reached out to Samsung to see if there are any further details to consider but the company hasn't responded in time for publication. When it does, I'll be sure to add any information about it.

Twelve months is also about the lifespan of the tiny lithium battery inside of it. A battery of this type has a life measured in charging cycles, and after about 400 of them the battery starts to go bad — it won't hold as much charge and it loses its charge much faster. Fortunately, smart rings tend to have pretty good battery life, so you won't have to charge them as often as you would a Wear OS smartwatch.

So once you've charged your ring about 400 times, you can expect the battery to stop being "good enough." It will still work, but not for very long, and for a product designed to be worn so it can read a bunch of health data, time on the finger and not the charger is very important.

Once you reach the point where the battery isn't lasting long enough to make it useful for you, the only thing you can do is drop it in a recycle bin somewhere and buy a new one for $400.

To me, the biggest problem here is that a smart ring's "disposability factor" kills any market for used or refurbished devices. Never buy a used smart ring unless you personally know how long it has been used for and how it was used. 

A smart ring isn't like a phone where you can save a fistful of cash buying used and spend a little of it to get the battery swapped out. When the battery dies, it's either covered by the warranty, or it isn't. If it isn't, you're only option is to buy something else.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from buying a smart ring. For plenty of us, a few hundred dollars every year or so is a solid way to spend money in order to help live a healthier lifestyle.

I'm just pointing out what all the flashy ads you see aren't going to tell you: this cool product wasn't designed to last very long.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Design

There's only so much you can do with the design of a smart ring, and as a result both the Galaxy Ring and Ultrahuman's Ring Air end up looking largely identical. The Galaxy Ring is made out of titanium and is available in a multitude of colors, and it is light enough that you don't notice it. While Samsung says it uses a scratch-resistant coating, that hasn't been the case on my colleague Nick Sutrich's unit, which picked up visible scratches in just a week of use.

The Ring Air is also made out of titanium, and it has matte and glossy colors that contrast the design well. it is a smidgen lighter than the Galaxy Ring, and it is extremely comfortable in daily use; I barely even notice that I'm wearing a smart ring these days. It has its share of scratches as well, so I'd recommend getting a lighter color.

Both rings have a similar set of sensors, and they're recommended to be used on your index or middle fingers. Samsung and Ultrahuman send out sizing kits so you can accurately determine your ring size, and as both brands use custom sizing, it's recommend you try out the designs in the sizing kit to gauge the fit.

Both smart rings have ridges on the underside where the sensors come into contact with your finger, and while I thought it would be uncomfortable, that hasn't been the case at all. The only difference to a regular ring is that smart rings are noticeably bigger, but they're lighter than they look, and at least with the Ring Air, there wasn't any issue with the design or fit.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Health and activity tracking

Smart rings offer a significantly easier way to monitor fitness and health data, and while they don't have an extensive feature-set like the best smartwatches, they're great at the basics. Both rings measure 24/7 heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature, and they monitor stress levels throughout the day.

When it comes to activity monitoring, the Ring Air has been inconsistent in my usage, and the data isn't as reliable as a regular smartwatch. That said, subsequent updates have made a difference, and the key point is that it does a better job than the Galaxy Ring.

The Ring Air didn't have automatic workout detection, and it was a point of contention when I started using the smart ring earlier in the year. Thankfully, Ultrahuman added the feature via a software update, and while it is buggy at times, it is a great new addition. So even if you don't manually start an activity before working out, it will start tracking your activity levels and vitals, and give you a notification within the app to log the activity.

The Galaxy Ring also has this feature, but it only does so with two activities: running and walking. That limits its ability to measure workouts on its own, and the Ring Air has the edge in this regard. Another area where the smart ring outshines Samsung is sleep monitoring; I got useful metrics out of the Ring Air, but the Galaxy Ring still has a long way to do in this area — it just doesn't provide reliable details.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Battery and connectivity

Both smart rings connect via Bluetooth, and they have decent battery life. I got four days of usage out of the Ring Air between charges, and while that's good enough in its own right, the Galaxy Ring does better. Samsung's smart ring manages to last a day longer than the Ring Air, so that should give you at least five days of usage. Samsung's charging dock looks pretty cool too, and although the Galaxy Ring has a smaller battery, it has better longevity.

Where the Ring Air has a distinct advantage is connectivity; it doesn't lock any features to a platform, and you get the same feature-set on all Android phones and iPhones. You don't need to pay any monthly fees to use all the features, although Ultrahuman is rolling out custom additions that cost extra — they're not necessary if you just want a smart ring to monitor activity and health data.

Annoyingly, Samsung restricts the usability of the Galaxy Ring in several ways; find my device is exclusive to Galaxy phones, so if you use another Android device, you can't use the feature to locate your Galaxy Ring. There's no way to use the smart ring with an iPhone — unlike the Ring Air — and the most egregious feature limitation is gestures; the Galaxy Ring has a few gestures to control your phone, but you need a Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Which should you buy?

If you have a Samsung phone and want a smart ring to go with the device, the Galaxy Ring should be a decent choice. It isn't available in all regions just yet, and it costs more than its rivals, and it just doesn't have the same robust feature-set as the Ring Air. That's obviously going to change over the coming months as Samsung adds features to the smart ring, but if you need something that's fleshed-out now, the Galaxy Ring isn't it.

The Ring Air is a much better alternative. It has better automatic workout detection, has usable metrics that work on all platforms, and does a good job with sleep monitoring. It also costs less, and although the battery doesn't last as long as the Galaxy Ring, I consistently got four days of use between charges, and that's decent enough. If I had to recommend a smart ring, it'd have to be the Ring Air.

Knowing in advance how to find your lost Samsung Galaxy Ring is important, because you need to set up the "find my ring" features before you lose it, not after. It'll only take you a minute, assuming you have a Galaxy phone.

The Galaxy Ring has no built-in GPS or UWB. The Galaxy Wearable app will save the last known location based on your phone's GPS data, but if you leave your Galaxy Ring in a public bathroom and someone takes it, you'll have no way of finding it.

Worse, if you connect your Galaxy Ring to a non-Samsung phone, you have no way of tracking it, because the system uses the Samsung Find app only available through the Galaxy Store. All you can do is light up the ring's LEDs to make it more visible, which won't help if the tiny wearable falls into a couch cushion.

Our Galaxy Ring reviewer has middling impressions of it thus far, and his inability to track it with a non-Samsung phone is a big knock against it. Still, for Samsung phone owners, here's how to find your lost Galaxy Ring!

How to find your lost Samsung Galaxy Ring

Note: As mentioned above, most of the steps below only work on Samsung phones. 

1. On your Galaxy phone, open Settings > Security and privacy > Lost device protection. 

2. Toggle Offline finding and hit Turn on on the subsequent pop-up screen.

3. Open the Galaxy Wearable app. If you have multiple devices connected — like the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch 7 — and the Galaxy Ring isn't immediately visible, tap the devices button (a hovering circle with two squares and circles) and switch to it.

4. Tap Find My Ring at the bottom of the app menu.

5. Samsung will tell you to enable location permissions. Be sure to enable these to allow devices to be found. 

At this point, Samsung will track the Galaxy Ring's location by default in the Samsung Find app, which Samsung uses instead of Google's Find My network. 

With a Samsung phone, you open Samsung Find and tap your ring under Devices. A Galaxy Ring icon will appear wherever it was last detected, whether online or offline.

You'll see the Blink light option, as well as a Refresh button to update its last known location. Under More, you can toggle Notify me when it's found or Notify when left behind. The latter is especially useful for warning you immediately if your phone detects it disconnecting.

With a non-Samsung phone, your process is simpler (and less useful). Open the Galaxy Wearable app and tap Find My Ring. You'll find a threadbare menu with only one option: Tap Start to make the Galaxy Ring LEDs blink.

Finding your Galaxy Ring shouldn't be a Samsung exclusive

It's a common trend for Samsung to make vital tools exclusive to push you to buy all of their devices, like making life-saving AFib detection on the Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch Ultra restricted to the Health Monitor app.

In this case, Samsung made a few Galaxy Ring features exclusive to Samsung phones, including the Energy Score, Wellness Tips, and gesture controls. But making the Find My Ring feature Galaxy exclusive, with no alternative option like Google's network, is borderline inexcusable for a device this small and expensive.

Our Galaxy Ring tester tried connecting it to Google's Find My Network, but it wasn't visible. The official Samsung Galaxy Ring page claims that the lost ring feature "requires a smartphone with the SmartThings app," but he couldn't make the Galaxy Ring appear there, either. He even tried a third-party Bluetooth finder app to see if he could use it to hunt it down locally; again, it wasn't visible in the devices list. 

We've emailed Samsung to ask whether they have any plans to add lost-ring tracking to the best Android phones besides Samsung's own. They responded that "Android phone users will see blinking lights when prompted to locate their ring," and didn't provide further details. As it is, it's extremely easy to lose track of a smart ring unless it's left in plain sight, and you should be careful whenever you take it off to note where you've left it.

Smart rings are popular nowadays with new models coming to market frequently from numerous brands. Two popular ones to consider include the Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. RingConn Smart Ring. Both are premium smart rings that function similarly to smartwatches and fitness trackers, except they are worn on your finger instead of your wrist.

They are sleek, filled with sensors to track all types of health and wellness metrics, and have their own unique benefits. Which of the two smart rings should you choose? We’re here to help.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. RingConn Smart Ring: The fit and design

First, let’s examine fit and design. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is ultra-slim at just 2.6mm in thickness as well as lightweight, weighing from 2.3 grams up to 3 grams, depending on the size. Speaking of which, it comes in nine size options from 5 to 13 to fit a variety of finger circumferences. In his hands-on, Android Central’s Derrek Lee says he was surprised by how thin and light the Galaxy Ring is, noting that even though the dimensions suggest it’s thicker than others, the concave design makes it seem thinner. “It feels more like a ring and less like a regular smart ring,” he notes.

It’s advisable to get the ring sizing kit to choose the right size. Wear the size you think fits best for 24 hours on your index, middle, or ring finger. Since your finger tends to fluctuate in size throughout the day, especially for women, it’s crucial to ensure that you’re choosing one that isn’t too tight or too loose. Once you confirm the size, you can place your order.

Available in three scratch-resistant finishes with a durable titanium frame, choose black, silver, or gold. It comes with a full cradle quick charge case that can keep it powered up for as long as two weeks. The ring itself lasts for a week per charge. The clear charging case is stylish with a nice lighting effect to confirm status.

The ring is extra durable in that it boasts both an IP68 rating as well as a 10ATM rating, which means you can safely swim with it, even in depths as deep as 100 meters. As with any water-resistant device, however, be mindful that this pertains to freshwater surfaces. You’ll want to heed caution in heavily chlorinated pools as well as saltwater.

On the underside of the watch are three sensors that come in contact with your skin. There’s an optical bio-signal sensor for measuring heart rate, an accelerometer for tracking activities like walking and running, and a skin temperature sensor. The ring pairs seamlessly with the Samsung Health app and does not require a subscription.

While you can use this smart ring with any Android phone, you’ll be able to leverage all the features when it’s paired with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. With some of the latest Galaxy smartphones and Galaxy watches, you’ll get additional features, too.

At 2.6mm thin as well, the RingConn Smart Ring comes in Moonlit Silver, Midnight Black, or Pale Gold, very similar colors. It boasts a unique “squircle” design that’s not quite a smooth circle. In his review, Lee says that while the ring doesn’t look as premium as others, it’s not too thick and stands out among a sea of others that all look identical to one another. The flat bottom also makes it easy to tell which side should be on the underside of your finger.

Sizing ranges from 6-14, so those with extra-thin fingers might find the Samsung Galaxy Ring’s smallest size most suitable. Conversely, those with extra-thick fingers might need to size up and opt for the largest size 14 of the RingConn model. As with the Samsung Galaxy Smart Ring, it’s advised to use the custom sizer to make sure you get the right fit. It’s slightly heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Ring at 3-5 grams, depending on the size.

Made of lightweight titanium that’s corrosion-resistant with a PVC coating, the RingConn Smart Ring is also IP68 rated, but it does not have an ATM rating for pressure. Nonetheless, you should still be able to safely enjoy casual swims and showers with this model.

The RingConn Smart Ring comes with a portable charging case as well and lasts for up to seven days per charge, too. The company says the case can offer up to 18 full recharges, which is a huge deal since you can keep it going presumably for weeks. On the underside of this smart ring are four PPG sensors, four temperature sensors, and a 3D accelerometer.

This smart ring does not require a subscription either, and it can pair seamlessly with all types of phones, including both Android and iOS. Thus, if you don’t own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you might prefer this one. it’s also compatible with Apple Health and Google Fit.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. RingConn Smart Ring: Spec comparison

How do these two rings measure up? Let’s take a look.

These two smart rings do a lot of the same things and have a lot of the same sensors and features. They even look alike! But let’s look further into how they function.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. RingConn Smart Ring: The key sensors and features

Once you have the right size and you’re sporting a new Samsung Galaxy Ring on your finger, what can it do? The smart ring has three sensors, as noted, that track metrics like heart rate, sleep, stress, skin temperature, and more. The sleep tracker offers additional features like snore detection, sleep stages, heart rate during sleep, movement, sleep latency, and respiratory rate. There’s also cycle tracking for ladies to track their menstrual health along with heart rate alerts and the option to run a live heart rate check.

Thanks to the inclusion of Galaxy AI, you’ll also get an Energy Score. This calculates physical readiness based on the previous night’s sleep, heart rate, and activities to let you know if you should take a rest day or go for it with an intense cardio session. Along with tracking a variety of workouts, it has auto workout detection for walking and running, as well as inactive alerts to remind you to get up and move.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring also provides wellness tips and personalized suggestions, learning more about you over time, and monitors health vitals 24/7. All health data is stored in Samsung Cloud and accessible through the companion Samsung Health app. 

With a compatible Samsung Galaxy phone, you can use the ring to control it through a pinch gesture motion. This can trigger actions like snapping a photo or snoozing an alarm. Lee tried this with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and says the gestures work really well. With a compatible phone, you can also ping the ring with Find My Ring, perfect if you left it in the locker room at the gym or forgot where you put it down in the house. However, it only turns on the ring’s sensor light when you do this, so it might not be helpful in a bright room.

Samsung also says that when you wear the Galaxy Ring paired with one of the best Galaxy smartwatches like the new Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch Ultra, you’ll get more accurate health analysis. This is because the two together improve precision, especially while sleeping. You can also purportedly wear the Galaxy Ring for longer when it’s paired with the Galaxy Watch, extending the battery life by up to 30 percent.

What about the RingConn Smart Ring? Its sensors work much the same way, tracking many of the same metrics, including heart rate, sleep and sleep stages, blood oxygen, stress, and skin temperature. It offers 24/7 health monitoring as well with a unique feature that lets you share health data with a family member or caregiver, great for the elderly or those with disabilities or who are keeping an eye on risk factors like heart attack or stroke. (Naturally, as with any smart ring, this isn’t a medical device).

You get detailed analysis as well as suggestions as the Ringconn Smart Ring tracks various metrics, with everything easily accessible in the RingConn app. You can also use the app to refine goals as you notice improvements or want to create more accessible goals. While Lee says the app might look busy to some, the Wellness Balance feature, currently in beta, is a neat view that combines all your data and plots it onto a graph. This makes it easy to see which areas need work and how you are progressing (or regressing).

One limitation is that The RingConn Smart Ring has limited exercise modes from which to choose, with the feature still in beta. It includes basic ones like running, walking, and cycling, but that’s it. Hopefully more are coming in the future; Lee says RingConn is “working to develop more diverse sports modes.” There are, however, neat badge rewards to help encourage you as you hit goals or even wear the ring for a specific duration of time. Lee says it’s a “fun way to turn wearing your smart ring into a game.” But for now, if you want to be able to track different sports, exercises, and activities and don’t already own a smartwatch to do that, the RingConn model won’t be a good choice.

There are no added bells and whistles with this smart ring, which is also reflected in its price, which is much more affordable than the Samsung Galaxy Ring. But the integration with Google Fit and Apple Health might make it the better option for those who own something other than a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. However, it’s worth noting that Lee did experience issues syncing and connecting the ring to the app on multiple occasions, which can be frustrating.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. RingConn Smart Ring: Which should you buy?

So, you’re ready to take the leap and dive into the smart ring space. Whether you’re using it on its own or complementing a smartwatch or fitness tracker you already wear, both the Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. RingConn Smart Ring are good options to consider.

Naturally, if you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, it’s a no-brainer to buy the Samsung Galaxy Ring. You’ll enjoy a truly holistic experience with everything tracked in the Samsung Health app. If you also own a compatible Samsung Galaxy Watch, you’ll really appreciate adding this model to the ecosystem to get the most accurate results possible.

If you own another branded Android phone or even an iPhone, I’d recommend going with the RingConn Smart Ring instead. Like Apple, Samsung has a fairly closed ecosystem with its products. While you can technically use the Samsung Galaxy Ring with another branded Android device, it doesn’t make much sense when you’re paying for some features you won’t be able to leverage.

With that said, if you partake in a lot of water-based activities or just spend a lot of time outdoors, you might appreciate the extra durability the Samsung Galaxy Ring affords. The 10ATM rating is higher than you’ll find in most premium smartwatches, much less smart rings. Plus, the focus on additional sleep data could be crucial to those who are focused on improving sleep, especially if you suffer from sleep apnea or want to measure your snoring.

But the RingConn Smart Ring offers enticing features, too, like the 500mAh charging case that can keep the Ring powered up for weeks. Pop it in your purse and recharge while having brunch or commuting home from work. The health-sharing option will be appreciated by those who want to keep an eye on loved ones as well.

A small but potentially important detail: those on either extreme side of sizing might find that Samsung’s smallest size fits better or conversely, Ringconn’s largest size accommodates them. This could be a deciding factor for you once you get the respective sizing kits and try them on.

Final decision? If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone and/or Galaxy watch, go with the Samsung Galaxy Ring. If you own any other Android phone or an iPhone, the RingConn Smart Ring is a better option.

What you need to know

• Samsung is said to be ramping up Galaxy Ring production due to high demand, increasing its initial plan by 600,000 units.
• Suppliers were reportedly instructed to boost production by 150%, potentially shipping over a million units by year-end.
• The smart ring is now available in the U.S., but with low stock and delivery dates stretching into late August.

Samsung is reportedly ramping up Galaxy Ring production as early market signals show the smart ring is surpassing expectations.

According to The Elec, Samsung originally planned to produce 400,000 Galaxy Rings. However, due to unexpected demand, it has increased that number by 600,000 units.

Samsung's July Unpacked event was a big deal, packed with game-changing innovations. Among other devices launched during the show, the Galaxy Ring stole the limelight, catching everyone's eye since its debut. Even though it was teased earlier this year, Samsung kept the specs and launch date a secret until the much-awaited July reveal.

The Galaxy Ring blew past all expectations, selling out in the preorder phase. It's clear that demand for Samsung's new wearable technology is way higher than initially thought.

Now, industry insiders say Samsung has told suppliers to boost Galaxy Ring production by 150% due to huge consumer interest. If true, the South Korean tech giant could ship over a million units by year-end, as per The Elec.

Meanwhile, Finnish wearable company Oura surpassed 2.5 million units for its smart ring in 2022. While impressive, it took the company seven years to reach its first million.

Oura pioneered the smart ring category nearly a decade ago, keeping it a niche market. But with Samsung now entering the scene, this technology could go mainstream.

The Galaxy Ring stands out from other smart rings by offering no subscription fees, a battery life of up to a week, and personalized recommendations and insights powered by Galaxy AI.

Priced at $399, the smart ring is now available in the U.S. But with stock running low and delivery dates pushing into late August, buyers should act fast to secure their size.

Despite Samsung's push to speed up production and meet the high demand for the Galaxy Ring, consumers might still face stock shortages in the short term as the company tries to restock.

Just like when you get a fancy new diamond ring, you want to make sure the size is just right when getting a smart ring. A ring that’s too big could potentially slide off your finger or won’t sit right. Meanwhile, one that’s too small will be tight and uncomfortable.

These considerations are even more important when it comes to a smart ring like the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which has sensors that need to come in contact with your skin without pressing too firmly against it. Thus, before you order a fancy new Samsung Galaxy Ring, it’s crucial to ensure that you order the right size.

How to find the right Samsung Galaxy Ring size

In order to find the right Samsung Galaxy Ring size, you should use the official sizing kit.

How to get and use the official sizing kit

Samsung offers an official Samsung Galaxy Ring sizing kit that you can order online, with limited inventory. It contains samples of all nine Samsung Galaxy Ring sizes that you can try on, well, for size. When you find one you think is right, keep it on for a full day, even overnight, to ensure it’s the proper fit. If not, try a size up or down as needed for another 24-hour period. You want to be sure it’s perfect and need to account for the fact that, especially with women, your finger size can fluctuate throughout the day and during specific times of the month.

If you don’t want to wait for the mailed kit, or none are available when you’re ready to order, some wireless carriers and retail stores have a sizing kit where you can visit and try it on in-store. You can also order the sizing kit from certain retailers, like Best Buy. It’s $10 but once you’re done with it and return it, you will receive an e-gift card to use towards the purchase of the Galaxy Ring itself.

Once you know your size, check for an e-mail sent by Samsung with a link to order the Galaxy Ring from there. You can also visit My Orders on Samsung’s e-shop to submit the size and finalize an order you might have already started.

Measure at home

 While it might not be 100% accurate, you can try to measure at home using either a ring you already own that fits perfectly, or a piece of string, ribbon, or twist tie and ruler to measure the circumference of your finger.

If you already know your ring size, use this to see where it corresponds in terms of the numerical size of the proper Samsung Galaxy Ring. But keep in mind that as a smart ring, the Samsung Galaxy Ring has small bumps on the underside for the health and fitness tracking sensors. The small protrusions mean that the measurements of the Samsung Galaxy Ring are slightly different than a standard, smooth-edged ring.

Nonetheless, if you’re determined to go this route, use a string, ribbon, or other similar item and wrap it around your finger. It should be snug but not too tight. Mark where the string ends, remove it from your finger, and measure the length with a ruler. From here, you can use a handy chart to determine what size corresponds with your ring circumference in millimeters.

A finger that’s 15.6mm in diameter, for example, would be a size 5; 18.2mm would be a size 8, and 22.2mm a size 13, with additional measurements in between. You might want to consider going a size up if you find that you’re right on the line, to account for the sensors.

Go by a previous smart ring

If you’re not new to the smart ring game and you have owned one from another brand before, you can probably get something in the same size with the Samsung Galaxy Ring. All smart rings have some type of sensor and are similar in design, so the sizing should be relatively similar.

What else to know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring and sizing

The Samsung Galaxy Ring comes in sizes from five through 13. It’s recommended to be worn on the index finger of your non-dominant hand to get the most accurate measurement, which means even if you know the size of your ring finger, it might not be the same as the index finger. Alternatively, you can also wear it on the middle finger, or the ring finger as a last option if you don’t find it comfortable on the index or middle finger. But it should not be worn on the pinky, which would likely be too small to generate an accurate reading, nor on the thumb, which could be too short and active to comfortably keep a ring on it 24/7.

While there are ways around it, your best bet to ensure that you get the right Samsung Galaxy Ring size off the bat is to order the sizing kit online.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is a powerful health and wellness tool on its own, but it’s ideally worn with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, both poised to be named the best Samsung smartwatches. They work in tandem with one another to present a more holistic and accurate picture of your health.

What you need to know

• Samsung's new Galaxy Ring sold out just a few days after pre-orders opened up for the device.
• The smart ring became available for pre-order again late last week, but some sizes will result in a long wait for delivery. Some third-party retailers aren't providing a delivery estimate at all.
• Despite being expensive at $400, the Galaxy Ring is clearly in high demand, and it shows that smart rings are more than a gimmick.

Samsung spent a while teasing the Galaxy Ring, after previewing it at the first Unpacked of the year and showing it off in more detail at Mobile World Congress. However, it was far from certain that the smart ring would be a success. There were rumors about an expensive pricing model that could've featured a high upfront cost and a subscription. Plus, Samsung was going against brands like Oura and others which have a lot more experience in the space.

It seems like even Samsung might've doubted how much of a hit the Galaxy Ring would be. The smart ring sold out just a few days after pre-orders opened up, and far before the ring's official release date. Third-party retailers kept accepting Galaxy Ring preorders but made no official estimation of when they might ship. 

As of late last week, the Galaxy Ring became available again, albeit with long shipping windows. 9to5Google first discovered the restock and noted that some sizes are still hard to get, even after Samsung started accepting preorders for the Galaxy Ring again. In fact, some combinations of sizes and colors are still sold out completely. 

The official release date for the Galaxy Ring is July 24, but buyers who place a preorder now will have to wait significantly longer than that. Some uncommon sizes and colorways are available sooner than the more popular ones. You can get a Galaxy Ring in size six and the titanium silver color for delivery on July 26, just a few days after the release date. However, sizes 10 and 12 come with Aug. 7 delivery dates, and you won't get a size 11 ring until Aug. 21.

If you need a size 13 ring, you're completely out of luck. Delivery is "unavailable" for a Galaxy Ring in that size — for any colorway — and you're not able to place a preorder at all. 

We don't know how many smart rings Samsung made in its initial production run, so it's hard to call the Galaxy Ring a resounding success this early. It is clear that demand has exceeded supply, and that does tell us one of two things. Either the company played it safe, testing the waters before placing high-volume production orders. Or, it underestimated the demand for the Galaxy Ring entirely, and was surprised by the overwhelming amount of preorders. 

Regardless of which possible scenario is actually true, it's still impressive that the Galaxy Ring sold out so early. You have to consider that the initial wave of preorders came before most initial reviews of the Galaxy Ring were live. That means early buyers were mostly going off of Samsung's claims and the media's first impressions, and enough people bought in based on that alone. 

Why is the Galaxy Ring so popular?

I ended up placing a preorder for the Galaxy Ring, though I bought mine after it sold out, so I don't have a delivery date at all currently. As an early buyer, I think there are two main reasons why the Galaxy Ring has been so popular already despite not even being officially released yet. The first one is that smart rings are the real deal. It's easy to say they're a gimmick because they have basic sensors and no on-device interface. But that's far from the case. 

The benefit of a smart ring is that you can wear it all the time. With a smartwatch, you have to keep it charged, and it's bulky. I can't wear a smartwatch to bed — it's just too clunky and uncomfortable — and I lose out on sleep-tracking insights as a result. Even a slim tracker like the Whoop 4.0 is too disruptive. That's where a smart ring comes in. You can wear it in the shower, during your day-to-day life, and to bed. With long battery life and quick charging, you can wear a smart ring almost every hour of every day. 

Now, the second reason the Galaxy Ring is a hit is because it's the first smart ring to deeply integrate with a smartphone ecosystem. It's true that devices like the Oura Ring work on both iOS and Android, but they don't have deeper integration, and people want that deep integration. There's a reason Apple users buy an Apple Watch, Pixel users buy a Pixel Watch, and Galaxy users buy a Galaxy Watch. It just creates a better experience. 

Samsung is quietly building a compelling health ecosystem with the Galaxy Ring and the Galaxy Watch at the forefront. It's appealing to me, and apparently, it's appealing to many others. We shouldn't discount how impressive it is that the Galaxy Ring sold out in the preorder stage, and we definitely shouldn't discredit smart rings in general.

The Galaxy Ring is on its way, and it's not cheap at $399. But while the Oura Ring Gen 3 starts at just $299, the most expensive models can exceed $400, even reaching $549. Fortunately, Prime Day is here to get you some of the best-looking Oura Ring styles for less.

The fully circular Oura Ring Gen 3 Horizon style normally starts at $349 for some finishes like silver and black, although the more attractive ones, like the new Brushed Titanium, go for $449 and more. Fortunately, all Horizon models are on sale for Prime Day, scoring you 19% off each finish. That brings the Brushed Titanium finish down to $363, which is less than what you'd pay upfront for the new Galaxy Ring.

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I've been using the Oura Ring Gen 3 since 2021, and I absolutely love it. I've recommended it to so many of my friends and even convinced Shruti Shekar, Android Central's EIC, to get one, and she absolutely loves it. Sleep tracking is pretty detailed, and I love the automatic activity detection, which works surprisingly well. The Readiness score brings all your activities and vitals together to help give you insights on how to make the best of your day and take charge of your wellness.

Keep in mind that Oura requires a subscription for many of its most useful features, so you'll have to include the $5.99 monthly cost in your calculations. It's a small price to pay for the membership, but it's still worth noting. That said, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is FSA/HSA eligible, so you can always use the money set aside in those accounts to pay for the ring.

Still, Oura continues to add more and more features to the Oura Ring Gen 3 and the companion app, and it's honestly incredible how much this little wearable is capable of.

✅Recommended if: You're looking for a low-key wearable to track your vitals and help keep you on top of your wellness without being too distracting.

❌Skip this deal if: You don't want to pay for a monthly subscription or are deeply ingrained into the Samsung ecosystem.

If the exact style doesn't matter to you, the older Heritage style isn't on sale for Prime Day, but you can still grab these styles for less than what you'd pay for the Horizon rings. Finishes like black and silver are available to purchase starting from just $299, which is $100 less than what you'd pay for the Galaxy Ring.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out the other Prime Day deals on wearables, including some of the best Android smartwatches and other fitness trackers.

Samsung has three compelling wearable options coming out of Galaxy Unpacked this year: the $299 Galaxy Watch 7, the $399 Galaxy Ring, and the $649 Galaxy Watch Ultra. The new smart ring option—and the more expensive upgrade than past Pros or Classics—makes choosing one more complicated than usual!

In theory, you could buy a Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch 7 for just $50 (+ tax) more than a Galaxy Watch Ultra. You could buy a Galaxy Ring and keep using your older Galaxy Watch. Or you could simply upgrade to the Galaxy Watch 7 and save the Rings and Ultras for power users.

We'll speak specifically to those with a Galaxy Watch 6 (Classic), Galaxy Watch 5 (Pro), or Galaxy Watch 4 (Classic) and help you decide if you're wavering on which new Galaxy Watch or Ring to buy!

Option 1: Upgrade to the Galaxy Watch 7

The value of a new Galaxy Watch depends, as always, on how out-of-date your current watch is. Each new generation adds a few new perks, so the Watch 7's value is relative.

The Galaxy Watch 4 has a two-generation-old Exynos, thicker display bezel, smaller battery capacity, no skin temp sensor, slower charging, and just got its last Wear OS update. If that's your current watch, I can't think of a better time to update. Trade in your Watch 4 when you preorder the Watch 7 on Samsung.com and it'll only cost $125, including an extra band.

Galaxy Watch 5 owners have a temperature sensor, proper sapphire glass protection, the current 10W charging speed, and Wear OS 6 promised for next year. Still, it has the same downsides compared to the Watch 6 like the smaller displays and older Exynos with less RAM. A Watch 5 trade-in drops the upgrade price to $100 plus the extra band.

Any recent Galaxy Watch 6 owners have the toughest call. The Watch 6 and 7 share the same displays, memory, battery capacity, and protection. It has double the storage for those who use their watch for music streaming instead of their phone, a niche concern. Again, the post-trade-in price on Samsung.com is $100.

Your main reasons for upgrading are the Exynos W1000 CPU, the revamped health sensors for more accurate HR data, and the dual-band GPS. Are these enough?

I did an early Galaxy Watch Ulta fitness test against a a heart rate monitor and a Garmin watch with dual-band GPS, and was very impressed with the revamped accuracy for both. The Galaxy Watch 7 shares the same HR LEDs and GPS antenna, so it should be equally accurate — far better than my Galaxy Watch 6 fitness test last year.

Also, I strapped on my heavy Ultra for sleep tracking last night and found that it gave me the same nightly blood oxygen average as my Garmin watch (high-90s percentage) instead of the low-90s or high-80s that my Watch 6 Classic registered.

As for overall speed, the Galaxy Watch Ultra certainly delivers on speed, zooming through tiles, scrolling smoothly, and opening apps quickly. Samsung claims the Exynos W1000 is "2.7x quicker" at launching apps than the Exynos W930, or up to 3.7x faster for multi-core tasks. 

I can certainly notice a difference in snappiness and smoothness putting the Watch Ultra and Watch 6 Classic side-by-side, but the older watch isn't that much slower. The Ultra-Watch 5 gap with less RAM and the Exynos W920 chip is much more significant. If you have the Watch 6, you'll enjoy the Watch 7's extra speed, but I wouldn't say it's strictly necessary.

Overall, you should choose the Galaxy Watch 7 upgrade if you're (A) using an older watch and need a real upgrade or (B) you're an impatient techie who truly needs top-tier specs every single year. Why skip the Galaxy Watch 7? If you're used to your Galaxy Watch 5 Pro's extra battery life or Watch 6 Classic's rotating bezel.

Option 2: Upgrade to the Galaxy Watch Ultra

If you compare the Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Ultra, the key differences are its rugged titanium frame, the same 590mAh capacity as the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the extra 1,000 nits of brightness, a third button for exercise shortcuts, a built-in siren and LTE antenna, and unique bands.

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro owners might be the primary target for the Galaxy Watch Ultra. You paid extra for its titanium build and three-day battery life, without needing a physical bezel. Now, you're jumping ahead two Exynos generations with 33% more RAM, improving from 1,000 to 3,000 nits while removing the thicker display border, and adding properly accurate HR and GPS data.

Basically, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has become your only way to get a longer-lasting Galaxy Watch in 2024. It's a pricey proposition, but trading in either the Watch 5 Pro or 6 Classic cuts $430 off the preorder price and includes an extra band, making it cost the same as a full-priced Galaxy Watch 7 ($299). 

That's a great deal for Watch 5 Pro owners with two-year-old hardware, who originally paid $450 for it!

Why avoid a Galaxy Watch Ultra upgrade? Watch 5 Pro owners will have to accept adding an extra 14g/0.5oz of weight; choose the nylon band over the marine band if you're concerned. Watch 6 Classic owners will find the Ultra weighs about the same but no longer has that physical bezel for seamless controls—and they're getting fewer relative upgrades. It'll be an adjustment, but still potentially worth it since you're getting that same $430 off.

Option 3: Buy a Galaxy Ring, keep your current watch

Why buy the Galaxy Ring instead of the Galaxy Watch 7? The Galaxy Ring tracks a few of the same metrics — heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, steps and workout effort via the accelerometer, and sleep stages and quality — but not other health data like AFib, body composition, sleep apnea, and GPS/elevation tracking. Plus, you can't fit as many LEDs into a petite ring.

We haven't determined yet whether the Galaxy Ring matches the Galaxy Watch 7 for accuracy, and can only do so after a thorough review; we were, at least, very impressed by how comfortable and stylish it is during our Galaxy Ring hands-on.

Choose the Galaxy Ring if you hate sleeping with a smartwatch but want nighttime insights into your health. You can wear both the Galaxy Ring and your older Galaxy Watch during the day and have Samsung pick and choose the best data from both devices. Then, at night, you'll get insights into your body's health and daily energy that the Watch 7 can't deliver if it sits on your nightstand.

This option will require a new way of thinking for Android smartwatch owners. Owning both a smartwatch and a smart ring is an expensive proposition unless you space out your purchases and make both of them last. So maybe you can buy this smart ring and try to make your current Galaxy Watch last another few years.

Another option (let's call it Option 3.5) is to buy the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Ring. The Galaxy Ring has no trade-in option, but assuming you can trade in a Watch 5 or 6 to get your 7, the total price adds up to $499. If you can make both devices last for a few years, you might end up calling it a bargain. 

These are the perks when using a Samsung phone with your Galaxy Ring

The Samsung Galaxy Ring has great features that help you better track your health. Although you can use the Galaxy Ring on a non-Samsung phone, you are able to use some exclusive Galaxy Ring features only on a Samsung phone. You'll experience more seamless integration when using a Samsung smartphone.

For example, the Galaxy Ring can only offer features such as Energy Score at the beginning of each day with a Samsung Galaxy AI phone, a Samsung account, and the Samsung Health app. Galaxy AI evaluates data taken from physical and mental conditions, such as sleep, activity, sleeping heart rate, and sleeping heart rate variability, letting you know if you need to take it easy and rest.

By using a Samsung phone, you can count on Wellness Tips throughout the day, ranging from losing weight to getting more exercise, getting a better night's sleep, and taking care of your overall health. The Wellness Tips come from the health data in mind and let you know if you should sleep in instead of going for that 7 AM hike or meditate before you go to sleep.

The Samsung Galaxy Health app saves health information, and the new sleep AI algorithm gives you a daily Sleep Score and a snoring analysis, all within the Samsung ecosystem. If you're also using a Galaxy Watch, it could also help with your ring's battery life since Samsung Health will pull the data from the device with a stronger signal. Unlike the Oura Ring Gen 3, you get all the health data you need without a subscription.

Samsung users can also enjoy the Double Pinch Gestures, but the gestures feature only allows you to dismiss alarms or for camera control. It will be limited to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 at launch but should arrive on the Galaxy S24 shortly. You will need OneUI 6.1.1 or above on your Samsung phone, and the clock app version must be 12.3.30.35 or above. You need to turn the feature on since it's off by default and enable it on the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app. The exclusive Galaxy Ring features allow you to do various things, but keeping your apps updated is also essential.

Find My Ring (supported by Samsung Find) is another feature available only on Samsung phones. Live tracking is not supported, and you will only see the last connected location for your Galaxy Ring. Samsung warns that compatible smartphones and available features can vary depending on your carrier, country, or device. The Galaxy Ring will not vibrate and make any audible sound for an easier find, but the LED lights will flash.

The exclusive Galaxy Ring features list is not long for now. Time will tell if users get any more.

Samsung's big Galaxy Unpacked launch event happened earlier this week, and the company wasted no time announcing a handful of products. This year, we got much more than just foldables, with Samsung breaking into a new wearable category with its first smart ring and some new Galaxy AI tricks for its devices.

In case you somehow missed the big news this week, worry not. Here's everything Samsung announced at Galaxy Unpacked, from foldables to its new Apple AirPod-like earbuds.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6

Among the biggest device to launch during unpacked are the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. The changes to these devices are fairly iterative, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 received a welcome change to the design that should help make it more palatable for consumers.

As pointed out in our Galaxy Z Fold 6 hands-on, the phone is now wider with a much squarer design. This should make the larger external display easier to use while bringing the internal folding display more in line with other foldable phones. The phone is also thinner thanks to some internal improvements, which should appease some fans.

The camera system is largely unchanged except for the ultrawide, which uses the same 12MP resolution but apparently uses a new sensor for better low-light performance.

The new Flip has fewer design changes, but there are a few notable upgrades. As noted in our Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on, the device has a flatter frame and a dash of color around the cameras. The phone also has a new 50MP primary camera, which should provide better image output, especially in low light, and the 4,000mAh battery should help it last longer before reaching for a charger.

The cover screen hasn't changed much, but some new software additions bring more widgets and Galaxy AI to the external display.

Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and come with One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14, which brings more Galaxy AI features to the phones, like an improved Interpreter mode, Drawing Assist, new wallpaper features, and more.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are available now for preorder and start at $1899 and $1099, respectively.

Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra

The new Galaxy Watch 7 may look familiar, but it's the inside that counts, and Samsung has upgraded the watch with its latest 3nm chip for improved performance, plus a revamped BioActive sensor that should make it more accurate. The watch runs Wear OS 5, has double the storage of the Galaxy Watch 6, comes with Galaxy AI features like suggested replies, and is capable of detecting sleep apnea, a disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep.

However, the real news is the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which takes things to another level. The watch has a large, rugged design and battery life that lasts up to 100 hours in power-saving mode or 48 hours in exercise power-saving mode. There's also a new Quick Button on the side that you can program to open and begin various functions like workouts or a stopwatch. This is in addition to the improved sensors, sleep apnea detection, new chipset, and more.

If it seems a little familiar, it's because the Apple Watch Ultra also has an Action button that does more or less the same thing. In our Galaxy Watch Ultra hands-on, we point out the similarities between this and Apple's offering, although Samsung manages to undercut Apple by a bit and still offers a circular display.

The Watch 7 and Watch Ultra are available for preorder and retail for $299 and $649, respectively.

Samsung Galaxy Ring

After the Oura Ring Gen 3 took off and started a trend of emerging smart rings from a bevy of smaller companies, Samsung decided to jump into the ring (pun very much intended) with its own. The Galaxy Ring is capable of tracking one's sleep, vitals, and workouts while feeding all this information to the new Galaxy AI-powered Samsung Health, giving users insights into their wellness and offering ways to improve and reach their goals.

Beyond that, the ring also has some gesture controls for Galaxy smartphones. For example, users can take photos or silence alarms by pinching twice, something you won't find on other smart rings.

In our Galaxy Ring hands-on, we note that the ring feels quite thin and light compared to its competitors. It also has the backing of an entire ecosystem, which could give Oura a run for its money as the smart ring category heats up.

The Galaxy Ring comes in nine different sizes and three different finishes and lasts up to a week with a single charge. It is available for preorder and retails for $399 with no subscription.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy AirPods Buds 3 Pro are a complete redesign from previous iterations of Samsung earbuds. They offer a stem design similar to other wireless earbuds from Apple and others. Samsung differentiates the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro by designing them with a light on the stem with a few functional indicators (or just to show off).

The earbuds have an in-ear design with improved audio, Adaptive EQ & Adaptive ANC, and higher voice bandwidth for calls. There are also some intelligent features like live translation with Interpreter mode and quick access to Bixby.

The regular Galaxy Buds have similar improvements but feature single drivers, no lights, no ambient sound, and fewer Galaxy AI features. They also have an open design for those of you who don't like in-ear buds, and they're cheaper at just $179. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro retail for $249.

Updates from Google

In addition to announcements from Samsung, Google also took a moment to highlight some Android and Wear OS-related updates coming to Samsung's latest devices. This includes new Gemini features for both foldables, access to Circle to Search, and the ability to watch YouTube TV in multiview, allowing for multiple streams at the same time.

Google also highlighted Wear OS 5, which comes first to the Galaxy Watch series and brings improved performance and battery life, particularly when it comes to workouts.

Will Samsung show off the Galaxy Ring 2 at Galaxy Unpacked 2025, just as it revealed the first Galaxy Ring in January 2024? We don't know, but rumors suggest Samsung might. And either way, we think the Galaxy Ring 2 has plenty of room for improvement.

Many of the best smart rings stick around for years after release, receiving software updates but keeping the same basic hardware and design. But Samsung is used to annual releases, and one leak suggested the Galaxy Ring 2 may arrive ahead of schedule.

The first Samsung Galaxy Ring is a gorgeous but basic device, with a limited set of features compared to other smart rings and several tools locked to Galaxy phone owners. We've no doubt Samsung will keep these exclusives for the Ring 2, but expect other new tricks and tools to make the Ring 2 more competitive with platform-agnostic rings like the Oura Ring 4 and Ultrahuman Ring Air.

Samsung told us around the Ring 1 launch that it planned to use customer "feedback" to determine what will go into future Galaxy Ring features or Ring 2 upgrades. While we're not customers, we do have feedback! So here's everything we want improved for the Ring 2, along with all the leaks, patents, and rumors we've heard so far.

Samsung Galaxy Ring 2: When will it arrive?

DigiTimes reported last month that Samsung will show off the Galaxy Ring 2 at Galaxy Unpacked 2025, along with Android XR glasses.

Galaxy Unpacked will take place on Wednesday, January 22. We also know that Samsung teased the first Galaxy Ring at Unpacked 2024, showing prototypes to a few outlets, before eventually releasing it that summer. So a Ring 2 unveiling this month would align with Samsung's past schedule.

Whether Samsung shows off a Galaxy Ring 2 glimpse this month or focuses solely on the Galaxy S25, the Ring 2 won't release in the short term. If Samsung sticks to its annual release calendar, the Galaxy Ring 2 will arrive in August 2025.

A tipster leak indicated that "Samsung appears to be planning to launch its Galaxy Ring 2 model a bit earlier than originally scheduled." That statement could mean shortening from a multi-year to annual schedule, or launching it earlier in 2025 so the Ring 2 doesn't overlap with the Galaxy Watch 8. It's hard to say, but we should hopefully know more after Unpacked 2025.

Samsung Galaxy Ring 2: Leaks and confirmed specs

We don't know anything concrete about the Galaxy Ring 2, including whether or not it exists yet. But we've heard a couple of rumors about how it'll differ from the first-gen model.

That DigiTimes report claims that the Galaxy Ring 2 will have "more accurate health data sensors and improved AI functionalities." It also claims the battery life will "exceed seven days," or the approximate capacity of the Galaxy Ring 1.

According to the tipster Lanzuk, the Galaxy Ring 2 will be "thinner" than the 2.6mm first-gen model, and he also suggests it'll have "longer battery life." Most smart rings fall within the same 3mm range and week-long capacity, though the RingConn Gen 2 is only 2mm thick and lasts about 10–12 days.

If Samsung gives the Ring 2 a more traditional ring size, makes it last longer, and keeps its health data fairly accurate, that would be a serious accomplishment.

Lanzuk also says the Ring 2 will have "more features" without specifying what — which is both incredibly vague and fairly obvious for any new product. Still, it gives us leeway to predict what new features Samsung might add next.

What's tricky is that Samsung is still updating the first-gen Galaxy Ring with new features, adding new large ring sizes and promising new features like a mindfulness tracker, sleep environment report, and optimal bedtime suggestions. That last feature won't arrive until the second half of 2025, which would align with a potential Ring 2 release date.

Based on the Galaxy Ring's current specs, we expect the Galaxy Ring 2 to have sizes 5 through 15, come in a titanium finish in Black, Gold, and Silver, and hit IP68 and 10ATM dust/water resistance. It should track heart rate, stress, blood oxygen, sleep stages, and skin temperature, among other metrics.

We did see a Galaxy Ring patent for an elastic inside layer that would adjust to your ring size, making it easier for Samsung to sell one-size-fits-all Galaxy Ring 2 models. But a patent doesn't necessarily mean Samsung will be able to implement the design successfully, so we're not assuming anything until we hear something definitive.

Samsung Galaxy Ring 2: Wishlist

Considering how little we know so far about the Ring 2, we'll focus instead on what changes Samsung should make. The Galaxy Ring had several noticeable flaws that the Ring 2 will hopefully correct, as well as absent features that we're unlikely to get but still hope to see.

For starters, as unlikely as it is, we'd like to see a cheaper Galaxy Ring 2. $399 is on the high side for a smart ring, especially when there's so much overlap with what the Galaxy Watch 7 offers. If Samsung can bring the price down to $299 to match its base smartwatch, that would make it much more accessible.

More importantly, we found that the Galaxy Ring's accuracy needs work. It's not necessarily inaccurate, but its nightly data shows random gaps where no information is collected for long stretches, and other devices seem to nail the sleep stage averages more exactly.

In addition, we'd like to see more health metrics like what Galaxy Watches offer, whether it's ECGs, passive AFib detection, or sleep apnea detection. As is, the Galaxy Ring's offerings are a bit plain, so it doesn't stand out compared to other smart rings, or especially compared to smartwatches.

As for fitness tracking, it did surprisingly well for step tracking but was otherwise unreliable. It only automatically tracks a couple of sports types and takes too long to trigger; plus, infrequent heart rate data ensures that the results don't match your effort properly.

Smart rings aren't exactly built for fitness, but a wider range of sports modes, better manual workout tracking, and better heart rate accuracy would be good starting points for the Galaxy Ring 2 that would help it better compete with Oura.

Plus, we'd hope the next step for Samsung's "Energy Score" is to recommend workouts or active minutes based on that energy level calculation, just as Fitbit, Amazfit, and Garmin do. Perhaps Samsung will improve the Energy Score feature by the time the Galaxy Ring 2 arrives to include workout and recovery times.

A Galaxy Ring 2 long-shot is haptics, but it's still something we'd like to see. The Circular Ring uses vibrations for subtle notification pings, silent alarms to wake you up, and breathing notifications. Samsung has smart gestures that control your Galaxy phone, but haptics would be the next step for better phone-ring integration.

During a Q&A session in 2024, Galaxy Ring product manager Bill Cornell was asked about haptic feedback; he responded that "I don't know if that's the future or not," but that they'll "get feedback from the customers after we launch this version and see if there's any additional things that we can add in the future."

That makes it seem unlikely, but this is our wishlist, so we're including it anyway. A vibration motor is one of the key smart ring features that we think will make them more popular with consumers, and since the Circular Ring 2 cut haptics to fit its ECG, Samsung would be the only option left for it.

Samsung will reportedly add "improved AI functionalities" to the Ring 2, and more recognized gestures could be one of them. At the moment, Galaxy Rings can detect double pinches to dismiss an alarm or take a photo, but these uses are so limited that you probably forgot about them as soon as you finished reading the manual.

We'd love it if the gesture came up in more contexts, or if you could choose a specific function like pausing a playlist or pausing a workout that you specifically want the ring to focus on. And if the Galaxy Ring 2 could detect other gestures that wouldn't trigger false positives, that could prove useful and make your Android phone and smart ring better connected.

Otherwise, Samsung Health could add more AI insights into your health, or perhaps a chatbot that takes in your ring's data and can explain what it means and answer any questions about your sleep quality, for example.

Finally, we'd like to see more Galaxy Ring colors and finishes. Rose gold is a popular option across smart ring brands, and it'd be nice to see other popular options for jewelry like White Gold.

Given that we're starting to see luxury smart rings with premium materials, Samsung could certainly follow suit with its own higher-end Galaxy Ring 2 designs. Perhaps some could be skinnier and have basic tracking, while others could be Ring "Pro" models with a thicker design but more smarts.

Why choosing the right Samsung Galaxy Ring finger matters—and why it's not the same for everyone

The Samsung Galaxy Ring has a few non-health features like gesture controls, but you're mainly wearing it to get insights into your heart health, sleep quality, and fitness goals. If you buy the wrong-sized Galaxy Ring for your hand, you're essentially paying $399 for nothing, because the data will be inaccurate.

Whether you buy the Galaxy Ring, Oura Ring, or any other smart ring, you should wear it on one of your three middle fingers. Which you choose will depend on your preferences; this informal Oura subreddit poll, for example, shows that 44% wear it on their index finger, 26% on their ring finger, and 26% on their middle finger out of 1,500 people.

As we explained above, Samsung doesn't require you to wear the Galaxy Ring on your index finger to get good results. Case in point, the Galaxy Ring's double-pinch gesture works "on all fingers wearing rings" according to the fine-print on Samsung's promotional materials. They wouldn't specify that unless they expected people to wear the Galaxy Ring wherever they wanted.

Whichever finger you choose, we do suggest wearing it on your non-dominant hand. Even though the Galaxy Ring is slimmer and lighter than most smart rings, it's still noticeably thick. It'll feel intrusive when holding objects like utensils or other daily actions you normally don't think about, like using the bathroom.

Once you choose a finger and size, wear the Galaxy Ring dummy ring for 24 hours, including one night of fake sleep tracking, before you buy it. Your finger size naturally changes at different times of day, and something snugly comfortable during the day could become uncomfortably tight at night. 

That also applies during workouts, where higher heart rates swell your fingers. Unlike a fitness watch—where you can adjust the band to any wrist size—your only recourse with a smart ring is to switch to a different finger entirely.

That's why many people wear their smart rings on different fingers for different activities. You could swap from your index finger to your ring finger at night, for instance. But it really depends on how well Samsung's unique ring sizes match with your hand size.

When I reviewed the Ultrahuman Ring Air, I originally measured it for my dominant index finger without realizing (A) it would get in the way and (B) it got a bit tight at night. Thankfully, my left index finger was only slightly smaller, and it ended up being less annoying at night while still giving me a proper seal during the day.

Ultimately, the best Galaxy Ring finger to choose is probably your non-dominant index finger. But if you want to wear it as a techy wedding band, that should give you similar results so long as it's fitted well. We've found smart rings more uncomfortable when worn on the middle finger, but this comes down to preference.

Now that you know which Galaxy Ring finger is the best option, you may want to check whether the Galaxy Ring or Oura Ring is your best smart ring option in general!

This is what you can and can't do with the Samsung Galaxy Ring

The Samsung Galaxy Ring's 10ATM (ATM meaning atmosphere) rating means it can withstand 100 meters of water pressure (328 feet) but should not be submerged that much. This IP rating is an IP68 rating, meaning the smart ring can be submerged underwater for about 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. You can take it with you to activities such as water sports, washing the dishes, taking a shower, swimming, and other shallow water activities. But it's best to avoid intense rapids or currents and activities such as scuba diving or high-impact jetskiing since those activities can surpass the amount of pressure the rating can handle.

You may come across different ATM ratings. For example, a 1ATM rating can only handle ten meters of water pressure, a 3ATM can resist 30 meters, and a 5ATM rating can resist 50 meters. Every ten meters will add an additional ATM of pressure on the wearable. This rating is more than enough if you get caught in the rain or want to shower with it. Remember that the 100-meter rating is based on static pressure in a controlled area and does not apply to dynamic pressure you can experience in certain intense jetski activities. Samsung says the ring is not suitable for high water pressure and diving.

It's important to remember that a 10ATM rating (like the one found in the Amazfit Helio Ring) can deteriorate over time due to drops, exposure to harsh chemicals, extreme weather, and poor handling. The ring's aging materials can also weaken the rating, so the longer you have the ring, the more careful you should be around water.

You can also help by drying the Samsung Galaxy Watch after it gets wet despite the 10ATM rating to ensure its rating lasts as long as possible. Drying it off after a good workout will also help keep your Samsung Galaxy Ring in good condition since the salt found in sweat can damage it over time. Furthermore, occasionally, having a professional inspect your ring is a great idea to see how the ATM rating is holding up. Whether you have one of the best intelligent rings or smartwatches of 2024, following the manufacturer's maintenance instructions will also help make the ATM rating last longer.

IP and ATM ratings are not the same since they measure different things. IP stands for Ingres Protection and measures how resistant a device is against solid particles such as dust (first number) and water (second number) in an IP68 rating, for example. ATM, on the other hand, measures the amount of water pressure a wearable can resist.

If you don't like the color of your phone, you can just buy a case for it. Even for smart watches, you can switch up its style with a myriad of watch straps or even watch cases, if you simply must have all your tech be that perfect shade of teal. But for smart rings, there are no cases or covers: the color you bring home is the color on your finger from now until you buy a new one.

So before you bring home the Samsung Galaxy Ring, let's take a close look at which tint of titanium you're ready to wear day and night for the next few years.

Meet the titillating titanium colors of the Samsung Galaxy Ring

• Back to the top ^

Color is only half the story with the Samsung Galaxy Ring

I am a steadfast silver girl when it comes to my jewelry for a number of reasons. Despite the karat scale for mixing/color-grading gold, it's embarrassingly easy for gold to clash with itself compared to silver, especially among gold-tinted electronics. Gold can make my pasty skin look pale or sallow, and silver is less likely to irritate my skin.

But the gold on the Samsung Galaxy Ring is like the Ring of Power itself: it's just too alluring for us mere mortals to resist. While that mirror-like high-polish finish will show fingerprints and smudges like no one's business, when it's clean, its reflections and clean look evoke a timeless and enchanting style.

We can't promise that the Titanium Gold of the Galaxy Ring will match all your fancy watches or heirloom necklaces, but it does match the Yellow gold of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, looking bold despite its relatively understated design. It's definitely a deeper yellow than the white gold on last year's Gold Galaxy Watch 6, but neither the Galaxy Watch 7 nor the swanky new Galaxy Watch Ultra come in any shade of gold. 

Both watches do come in silver, though, so those of you wanting a matching set will likely want to opt for the Titanium Silver Galaxy Ring. Silver also showcases a satin finish, the Goldilocks between a shiny-but-smudgy high polish on Titanium Gold and the longlasting-but-lusterless matte polished Titanium Black

It's wonderful that Samsung chose a different finish for each color. It allows for those who are dead-set on a finish type to have that option — I will take brushed or satin finishes over high polish every time — and also helps the three colors stand out from each other a little more.

Shiny or subtle, silver or gold, the most important factors here are which one do you think looks best and how it fits. Your ring size can vary based on the weather, dehydration, time of day, even what you're eating that day. Your size for the Galaxy Ring will also certainly differ from the size of your normal jewelry rings, so take advantage of the sizing guides Samsung will send out once you order one. Do not forgo this step just to get your ring faster.

After all, your pretty new ring's color won't matter if you can't keep it on your finger.

Samsung has been teasing the release of a smart ring for a long time now, so it feels a little surreal to say that you can actually preorder the Galaxy Ring today. Samsung, Verizon, and a few select retailers are already selling the wearable ahead of its July 24th release date, so I’ve gathered all of the best Galaxy Ring preorder deals on the web (so far) below. 

The smart ring category has remained pretty niche for years with a few notable exceptions (ahem, Oura Ring), so the fact that a behemoth like Samsung has taken this step is a big deal. We've already spent a little hands-on time with the Galaxy Ring, and our first impressions are quite positive. The device is sleek and discreet, with up to 7 days of battery life, a ton of useful gesture features, and nearly-seamless integration with the rest of your existing Galaxy devices. 

All of this innovation comes at a price, however, as the Galaxy Ring will set you back a straight $399. On the bright side, there's no subscription fee to worry about, and if you're hoping to save a little extra money, you can take advantage of one of the preorder deals below. More offers are expected to go live throughout the week, so if you don't find what you're looking for now, check back later to see what's new. 

The best Galaxy Ring preorder deals (so far)

Samsung Unpacked 2024 — quick links

• Samsung Unpacked 2024: live updates and everything that was announced
• Samsung Galaxy Ring hands-on review: Oura should be worried
• How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
• How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

The long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring battle has gone from the courtroom to the market. Now that the Galaxy Ring has arrived, it'll face off against the Oura Ring, the most well-known smart ring available today.

Most of Oura's customers use iPhones, and the Galaxy Ring has exclusive Samsung phone features (though it'll work with many other Android phones). Still, even if the Galaxy Ring makes smart rings more widely known, Android fans may still want to choose an Oura Ring instead.

Samsung sued Oura preemptively, noting that Oura frequently accuses smart ring makers of patent infringement for "features common to virtually all smart rings, such as the inclusion of sensors, electronics, and batteries." Samsung then attempts to argue that the Galaxy Ring is distinct from the Oura Ring.

Despite that, the two rings share many common traits, from health sensors to battery life. Beneath the shiny surface of both smart rings, you'll find some key differences that'll help you decide which is the better fit for your finger.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: Design and pricing

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is surprisingly slim for a smart ring. Its 2.6mm thickness matches that of most smart rings, including the Oura Ring Heritage (2.55mm), but at 7mm wide, it's about 1mm thinner than most rival rings.

That also translates into a lighter weight than most smart rings. At 2.3 to 3.0 grams depending on the size, the Galaxy Ring is significantly lighter than the Oura Ring (4–6 grams) and the RingConn smart ring (3–5g), while being slightly lighter than the Ultrahuman Ring Air (2.4–3.6g).

Samsung gave the Galaxy Ring a distinct concave design, where the band sinks inwards in the center before rising along the edges. It's a subtle distinction, but one that makes it stand out from other smart rings that are either fully flat or simply curved.

Oura sells two versions of its Gen 3 ring: the Heritage and the Horizon. The latter is more expensive because it has a symmetrical rounded design instead of the Heritage's flat-top design. Some users prefer the Heritage because the Horizon feels significantly thicker on all sides, while the Heritage's asymmetry can be distracting in its own way.

Our Oura Ring reviewer also got to test out the Galaxy Ring in New York before Unpacked. While he called the Oura Ring "surprisingly comfortable to wear," he praised the Galaxy Ring as a "ring that feels more like a ring and less like a regular smart ring, which I feel is the ultimate goal of wearable tech: to naturally blend in with your lifestyle." In terms of comfort, the Galaxy Ring comes out on top, even if its thickness ensures it'll still get in the way if you wear it on the wrong finger.

Both the Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring punish people with smaller fingers: petite rings must, by necessity, have smaller batteries than larger ones. That's why a size 5 Galaxy Ring lasts five days, while a size 13 Galaxy Ring lasts seven days. The Oura Ring, too, only lasts seven days with its largest rings.

The Oura Ring, like most smart rings, has a charging cradle where you seat the ring, connected to a USB-C cable. You'll need a power brick to charge it. Samsung came up with the neat idea to ship the Galaxy Ring with a transparent charging case with 361mAh capacity. With it, you can charge your Galaxy Ring on the go, and check the LED indicator to see if it's still charging or fully topped off.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is on the expensive side for a smart ring; many indie brands sell their rings in the $250–$350 range. We're curious if future generations will successfully bring down the price, once Samsung has mastered the production process.

The $299 Oura Ring Gen 3 starts off significantly cheaper, but if you want any color besides Silver or Black, you'll end up paying as much or more than Samsung charges—and that includes the gold Galaxy Ring. Plus, Oura charges $70/year for most of its key app features, after a brief 30-day trial membership. Over time, the Galaxy Ring is the more affordable option.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: Health tracking

The Samsung Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring track a lot of the same information, so we'll run through their shared features first:

Sleep: Both rings track your total sleep time, your restfulness (movement during sleep), your sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep), sleep stages (REM, deep, etc.), resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), breathing rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), and skin temperature. Both Oura and Samsung convert this data into a simplified Sleep Score in their respective apps, summarizing your nightly recharge quality.

Energy Score: Oura calls it a Readiness Score, while Samsung calls it an Energy Score, but it's the same principle. Your sleep quality, stress levels, and recent workout activity are used to estimate your body's current physical ability to handle whatever the day throws at you.

Heart rate: Both the Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring have continuous heart rate data throughout the day, though we don't know yet how frequently the Galaxy Ring takes a reading; for Oura, it's a one-minute reading every five minutes, assuming you're at rest. Otherwise, you can do an HR spot-check in the app at any time.

Inactivity alerts: Either smart ring will notify you if you're sedentary for too long, unless you turn the feature off. Of course, since neither ring has haptics, you'll have to check your phone notifications to see the alert.

Cycle tracking: Both rings let you log your periods in the app, and then use your health data (especially body temperature fluctuations) to predict future cycles. Oura also has a "pregnancy insights" section of the app, though this mainly extrapolates data based on your estimated due date.

In terms of what's different, we'll have more to say once we've had a chance to properly review the Galaxy Ring and dive into the Samsung Health app with it synced. However, based on Samsung's press materials, there are a few key differences.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring has a heart rate alert feature that gives you real-time warnings about "unusually high or low heart rates" in Samsung Health. Also in Samsung Health, you'll find Wellness Tips that guide you towards individual workout goals. For example, if you're trying to lower your resting heart rate or hit certain sleep goals consistently, you can see a trend graph showing your week's progress in the app.

The Oura Ring puts a lot of emphasis on stress tracking. Its Daytime Stress graph takes data like HRV, motion, and temperature to rate if your day was stressed, engaged, relaxed, or restorative. And your Resilience score determines how draining stress and workouts are on your body, and how quickly you can recover from them. While the Galaxy Ring does track HRV at night, we don't know yet if daytime stress is available.

Oura also provides weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports of your trending health data. So far, we only know of Samsung's daily and weekly reports.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: Fitness tracking

Smart rings don't have the same fitness focus as fitness watches because they aren't designed to sample heart rates as often, especially when your hands are moving quickly and disrupting the readings. So they use automatic workout detection to determine when to switch to a different HR reading mode.

The Oura Ring has over 50 automatic activities it can detect after 10 minutes, from sports to household chores (that link lists the more popular activities). Our Oura Ring reviewer noted that this feature works well in real life, properly identifying when he was dancing or cycling.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring, surprisingly, only has two: running and walking. For everything else, you must use a manual activity. It's limited enough that it feels perfunctory, as if any proper athletes are expected to use the Galaxy Watch 7.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: Smarts and phone connectivity

A smart ring won't give you any of the apps or smarts of an Android smartwatch or Apple Watch. The Oura Ring, as an independent health tracker, doesn't have any phone connectivity beyond the simple Bluetooth LE necessary to send health data to the Oura app.

One key difference that Samsung offers is gestures: While wearing the Galaxy Ring, you can double-pinch your fingers together to trigger an action on your connected phone. Specifically, you can disable an alarm or take a remote photo. Those are the only gestures we know of, and you'll need a Samsung phone to use them; we assume, however, that more gestures will come with time.

Both smart rings have a Lost Ring mode that shows the last-known location of where your phone was when you were wearing the ring. Unfortunately, Oura's Find My Ring mode is iOS only at the moment, and you must use a third-party app to track down its Bluetooth signal. Also, Samsung's ring will flash its LEDs in the lost mode to make it easier to spot, wherever you might have left it.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: Which should you buy?

The Samsung Galaxy Ring should work with most modern Android phones, so long as you install Samsung Health. But there are a few Galaxy AI insights and gestures that only work with a Galaxy phone; given the $399 price tag, it might feel hard to justify buying a Galaxy Ring if you're not getting the full experience.

The Oura Ring (Gen 3) has no such limitations, working equally well on any Android phone or iPhone. It also has a firmer ceiling in terms of what it'll eventually be able to do; we doubt it'll ever have gesture smartphone controls, even with a future Oura generation. It's quite simply there to track your health, sleep, and stress.

In plainer terms, the Oura Ring has gotten years of support to fully realize its potential, while the Samsung Galaxy Ring has only begun to spread its wings and should get years of software support to bolster its weak points, like automatic workouts.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring helped bring smart rings into the mainstream. Beyond the obvious name recognition and Samsung Health integration, Samsung gave it a lightweight, attractive design, unique gesture controls, and strong battery life that stand out from the competition.

At the same time, this first-generation smart ring had its fair share of problems, with our Galaxy Ring reviewer bashing its limited fitness capabilities, limitations on non-Samsung phones, and potential accuracy issues on a $399 device.

The Galaxy Ring remains one of the best smart rings despite its drawbacks. But with serious competitors like the Oura Ring 4, you can ask whether it's the right fit for your finger.

Our Galaxy Ring buyer's guide will focus on what you need to know before buying one, starting with sizing, fit, specs, and style. We'll run through the health features and how they compare against its smart ring rivals like Oura and Ultrahuman. And we'll explain the smarts you can expect if you have a Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: Price, availability, sizing, and colors

The Samsung Galaxy Ring was announced on July 10 and shipped out to customers on July 24. It's available through Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and select carriers in the United States.

Samsung hasn't widely advertised its list of Galaxy Ring countries, slowly trickling it out to new nations — most recently India in mid-October. Currently, it's available or coming to about 20 countries, including Australia, North America, several EU countries and the UK, China, India, and South Korea.

The original production run of 400,000 Galaxy Rings proved inadequate for demand, especially the medium and large ring sizes. Since then, Samsung announced plans to boost its factory output to 1 million rings to meet demand in late July, and it appears to be fully available since then.

You must know your Galaxy Ring size and which finger to wear it on before buying it. We have a Galaxy Ring sizing guide, but the gist is that Samsung uses its own proprietary sizing, so your typical ring size may not match. Samsung recommends wearing it on your index finger for the best tracking accuracy, with either your ring or middle finger as secondary options.

If you buy from Samsung, you will receive a free sizing kit with nine dummy rings in sizes 5–13. Through other retailers like Amazon, you must buy the sizing kit separately for $10, but once you buy the Galaxy Ring you will receive a $10 credit, offsetting the cost. If the largest size doesn't fit your finger, Samsung allegedly plans to add sizes 14 and 15, though we've yet to see an official announcement.

At $399, the Samsung Galaxy Ring costs more than most competing smart rings, which tend to fall within a $250–350 range. The main exception is Oura, which technically starts at $299 but jumps as high as $499–549 with the more rounded design and fancier finishes like Gold or Rose Gold.

Samsung says that it won't charge a monthly subscription for Galaxy Ring data (unlike Oura), though it has hinted that it may charge for Galaxy AI insights in the future — which would apply to the Galaxy Ring's Energy Score and Wellness Tips.

In terms of which Galaxy Ring color to buy, the Black option is the most plain and subtle, while the Gold and Silver options may match closer to whatever jewelry you typically wear. Unlike Oura, Samsung doesn't charge extra for its Gold finish.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: specs, sensors, and battery

The Galaxy Ring has two photodiodes, two LEDs, and two red/infrared lasers, built to track your heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen (SpO2), skin temperature, breathing rate, and other health and sleep data.

At night, it measures everything from resting heart rate and sleep stages to sleep latency and how often you move; then it converts all of your sleep and health data into an Energy Score at the beginning of each day, using Galaxy AI to interpret the results (if you're using a Galaxy phone).

While the Galaxy Ring lasts up to seven days per charge, this depends entirely on which ring size fits your hand. Samsung says that the smallest sizes (5–7) only last five days, and the middle sizes (8–11) last six days. Our Galaxy Ring tester found that his size-10 ring had 10% battery after six days, which matches Samsung's estimates.

You can check its current battery life by removing the Galaxy Ring; the built-in LEDs will flash 1–4 times, with one flash meaning 0–25% capacity, two flashes equaling 26–50%, and so on. You'll also find the exact percentage in the Galaxy Wearable app.

One cool perk is that you can charge the Galaxy Ring anywhere thanks to the portable 361mAh charging case, whereas most smart rings require a power brick. It hits 50% power in 30 minutes or 100% in an hour, which isn't bad compared to a smartwatch but is surprisingly slow given its meager 20mAh capacity. We assume that slow charging helps the battery retain its capacity for longer.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: Design and accuracy

The Samsung Galaxy Ring measures 7mm by 2.6mm and weighs between 2.3g and 3g depending on which size you buy. Its 2.6mm thickness is quite close to competing smart rings, but its 7mm width makes it thinner than the competition, as does its light weight compared to the Oura Ring (4–6 grams) or RingConn smart ring (3–5g).

While most smart rings have a uniform, flat appearance, the Galaxy Ring distinguishes itself with a concave design, sinking inwards at the center and rising along the edges. That, along with the smaller size overall, makes it look more like "jewelry" instead of tech, even if it's still thicker than most rings.

Like most smart rings, it has a titanium exterior frame. Samsung doesn't specify what the interior is made of, but it's probably a non-metallic material designed to feel comfortable against your skin and house all of the tech components and health sensors.

Samsung says the Galaxy Ring is certified to last for up to 10 minutes at 100m depth or up to six feet of water for 30 minutes. You can swim with it, in other words, but you probably don't want to leave it submerged indefinitely. It's certainly not as rugged as the diving-certified Galaxy Watch Ultra and it got scratched up when our reviewer wore it during a Spartan race.

A smart ring's primary purpose is to provide more comfortable sleep tracking than a bulky Android smartwatch can. Unfortunately, while our reviewer praised the Galaxy Ring as "so darn comfortable," he also complained that his data didn't align with his actual sleeping experience and that the ring had "blips in the graph where no data was collected at all."

We're still performing a longer-term test to see if the Galaxy Ring's accuracy improves over time, possibly thanks to OTA updates, but at the moment, it's not providing more accurate data than a smartwatch delivers, only a more restful experience.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: Smarts and fitness

For the most part, the Galaxy Ring is a passive device. You wear it and it sends data to your Android phone, without the smarts of a Galaxy Watch 7. But it does have a few features you should know about.

First, the Samsung Galaxy Ring has an automatic workout detection mode. It recognizes when you're walking or running via its accelerometer, then starts a tracked activity — but only after a set time period. Running a single hard lap around a track won't be detected, for example.

Surprisingly, those are the only two activities it can recognize. You can trigger a manual workout for any other activities, but this didn't work for our reviewer, as the ring didn't record any HR data across an hour-long gym activity. We assume Samsung will fix this issue, but even still, this is a far cry from what the Oura Ring (with its 50+ auto-detected activities) offers.

The main issue is that the Galaxy Ring only measures your heart rate every ten minutes outside of workouts and takes the best readings at rest. If you want more up-to-date health data, especially regular AFib detection, you'll need a smartwatch.

Also, some of its key insights like your daily Energy Score and Wellness Tips towards certain health goals require a Samsung phone and account. You can use the Galaxy Ring on a non-Samsung phone, but you'll have to analyze your own data.

If you have a Samsung phone running One UI 6.1.1, you can use a double-pinch "Gesture" to trigger specific actions on said phone. Specifically, you can snooze an alarm or take a picture while your Z Flip 6 is in tabletop mode — fairly niche and limited functions, in other words. We assume Samsung will add other gesture functions over time.

Finally, the Galaxy Ring has a Lost Ring function that locates its last registered position in the Samsung Find app, as well as lights up its internal LEDs in case it falls in a dark space. Unfortunately, the map-tracking tool is yet another Galaxy phone exclusive; only the LED function works for other Android phones.

The Samsung-Oura lawsuit

Oura has sued several smart ring makers like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn for alleged patent infringement. When Samsung announced the Galaxy Ring earlier this year, Oura responded with a press tour, which frequently mentioned how many patents it had (100 granted and over 270 pending).

In light of this, Samsung chose to preemptively sue Oura, claiming that the company's patents are for "features common to virtually all smart rings, such as the inclusion of sensors, electronics, and batteries."

The lawsuit claims that Oura is an "actual, imminent risk to Samsung" and its chances of smart ring success and asks the U.S. District Court to confirm that "the Galaxy Ring has not infringed, and does not infringe, directly or indirectly, any valid and enforceable claim."

Oura has yet to publicly respond to these claims. Oura's CEO told CNET in July that most of its customers are iPhone users, that they "welcome the additional members of the smart ring community," and that Samsung's marketing will bring more awareness to the category. He didn't mention the lawsuit.

We haven't seen any news about this lawsuit since July, so it appears that, for now, the Galaxy Ring won't have any legal troubles or counter-suits disrupting its sales. But we don't know how this lawsuit will shake out and how it'll affect the smart ring market.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Ring?

You can't use the Galaxy Ring with an iPhone, and its functionality is very limited for non-Samsung Android phones. You won't get AI insights like the Energy score, Gestures, or any way to track the ring in the Find My network.

That aside, whether you should buy the Galaxy Ring truly depends on (A) whether you're already happy wearing a smartwatch to bed at night or (B) whether another smart ring will suit your needs better for less.

To the first point, a smartwatch beats a smart ring for health tracking because it has the battery life to measure heart rate (and other metrics) more frequently, and more room for extra LEDs to spread across more a larger skin surface. A smart ring's main benefit is that it stays securely on your finger for sleep tracking, while a smartwatch might get dislodged and feel burdensome at night.

To the second point, you can check out our guide on the Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring will help you compare Samsung's option against the most popular and well-reviewed smart ring among its rivals. The Ultrahuman Ring Air and RingConn Smart Ring are two other strong smart ring options that will cost you less.

If you do decide to go with the Galaxy Ring, bookmark our guide on the first 13 things to do with your new Galaxy Ring, so you know where to start!

What you need to know

• The Galaxy ring is said to come in 9 sizes, weighing around 2.3-3gms, and will come in three colors: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold
• Users can track health metrics like sleep, workouts, menstrual cycles, and more with the help of Galaxy AI integrated into Samsung Health.
• Galaxy Ring will be available for pre-order in the U.S. from July 10 and for general sale on July 24, starting at $399.99.

It is finally here! The most anticipated wearable that could come from Samsung's Unpacked has arrived — the Galaxy Ring. The ring features Samsung’s  sensor technology, which is said to deliver health insights that will mould according to the user's health goals. 

“The latest additions to our wearables portfolio integrate Samsung’s most advanced technologies and innovations, enabling you to take control of your health and wellness with preventative healthcare solutions,” said TM Roh, president and head of mobile experience business at Samsung Electronics. 

The Ring's Design

The Galaxy ring is lightweight, weighing around 2.3 grams—3 grams. It sports a concave design, with three sensors on the inside and an outer Titanium finish around the frame.

As seen at the MWC event in February, the ring will be launched in Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold colorways. As we predicted, it will come in 9 different sizes, varying from 5 to 13. The user will receive a sizing kit with each order to test the ring size that works for them.

The device has a 10ATM water-resistance classification and IP68 rating, which means that the ring can be submerged underwater for about 30 minutes, however, Samsung says that the ring isn't suitable for high water pressure and diving, but can be used when one is participating in shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or the ocean. The company also warns users that this water resistance feature isn't permanent and could diminish over time based on the ring's usage.

Several leaks have revealed that the Galaxy Ring lasts seven days after a single charge. However, there is a catch. Samsung states that the ring's size dictates the battery life of the device. The battery life of the Galaxy Rings in sizes 12 and 13 lasts up to seven days on a single charge since the battery capacity of ring sizes varies. 

Galaxy Ring sizes between 5 to 7 come with a 17mAh battery that lasts up to 5 days on a single charge, while 8- 11 has an 18.5mAh battery lasting up to 6 days, and 22.5mAh for sizes 12 and 13, with the device lasting up to  7 days on a single charge.

The ring comes with a 25W USB-C power adapter, a charging case with LED lighting to indicate charging status, and a USB cable out of the box. However, a wireless charger is also being sold separately. 

The Ring's Features

The Galaxy Ring is said to come with several health-tracking features powered by Galaxy AI. Starting off with sleep, like most wearables, the Galaxy Ring will also provide the wearer with a sleep score based on the user's sleep pattern by tracking movement during sleep, sleep latency, and heart and respiratory rate. Samsung also says it'll use 'snore analysis' to judge your sleep quality. Presumably, you'll need a phone, if not a Watch with a mic, to pick up this data since the Ring doesn't come fitted with one. 

Like the Oura ring, the Samsung Galaxy Ring will also help women track their menstrual cycle and ovulation days by monitoring overnight skin temperature. However, this feature may not be accurate if the wearer is undergoing hormonal treatment or is on birth control pills. 

The ring sends out a Heart Rate Alert, a feature that provides notifications when the user's heart rate is unusually high or low in real-time through the Samsung Health app. The app will also display additional details like BPM and fluctuation duration via the Live Heart Rate Check.

Can there be a wearable that does not have to track your workouts? The Ring can track activity through automatic walking and running tracking via a feature called Auto Workout Detection. It will send you alerts if you miss a workout or are not as active during the day.

Lastly, based on the above feature tracking, the Ring is said to accumulate all the data and generate a detailed report, with the help of Galaxy AI, that includes something called the Energy Score. This score will help the user stay on track with their fitness goals and focus on areas they might lag behind. 

All data and insights are integrated into Samsung Health without a subscription.

In addition to the above-mentioned features, the Galaxy Ring is also equipped to take photos or dismiss an alarm on compatible Galaxy smartphones with a double pinch via Gestures that need to be set up by the user. 

Finally, in the unlikely event of losing your Samsung Galaxy Ring, users can find the location where the Galaxy Ring was last connected through the 'Find My Ring' option on Samsung Find, which requires the SmartThings app and a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection.

Galaxy Ring will be available for pre-order in the U.S. from July 10 and will be available for general sale on July 24 —  starting at $399.99.

After months of teasers, Samsung's Galaxy Ring is finally here. The latest entrant in the growing smart ring category comes from one of the best smartphone and smartwatch manufacturers, and Oura, the company that essentially kickstarted the category, doesn't appear to be worried. But should it be?

The Galaxy Ring seems to have quite a lot going for it and all the R&D dollars that Samsung is willing to throw at it. The result is a surprisingly polished smart ring with all the health features one would expect and some unique features we didn't think we'd see. As someone who is a big fan of smart rings, having reviewed a few myself, my brief hands-on with the Galaxy Ring makes me pretty excited about the future of these wearables.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: My own, my love, my... precious

What surprised me most about the Galaxy Ring is how thin and light it is. The ring weighs as little as 2.3g or as much as 3g, depending on the size you get, and it's actually quite impressive. Given how there's so much tech packed into this, the ring is also surprisingly thin, or at least it appears so. At 2.6mm, it's slightly thicker than the Oura Ring, but the concave design itself gives the appearance that it's much thinner.

The result is a ring that feels more like a ring and less like a regular smart ring, which I feel is the ultimate goal of wearable tech: to naturally blend in with your lifestyle. Even the design is more subtle than I expected, and the titanium build feels quite durable. I'll have to spend more time with it to see how well it fares in daily use, as my Oura Ring has accumulated a number of scuffs and scratches. 

I'm a bit bummed that Samsung isn't offering covers for the ring, which is something I wish more smart ring makers would do since I like to wear them while I work out. Hopefully, down the line, Samsung can make them available so users can protect their rings when they expect to do more strenuous activities.

What is nice is that, unlike most smart ring makers, Samsung provides a charging cradle for the Galaxy Ring. It's a lot smaller than the cradle for the RingConn Smart Ring, although it has less battery capacity, too. Still, given the 7-day battery life of the Galaxy Ring, I think it's a good trade-off, as it makes it much easier to carry around, and it's not like the ring will need to be charged very often.

In contrast with the rather subtle-looking ring, the included charging cradle is quite flashy with its transparent design. The cradle provides a nice lighting effect when the ring is placed to indicate the charging status, which is a nice feature.

Samsung is offering the ring in nine sizes, from size 5 to 13, so there should be options for most people, and it is recommended to use it on your pointer finger.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: Going above and beyond

Wellness is the name of the game, and the ring is able to do things like monitor your heart rate, track your sleep, detect workouts like walking and running, and even help predict menstrual cycles. It'll all be handled with Samsung Health, and Samsung is leveraging Galaxy AI to help provide insights like a sleep score, and all your vitals and activities will contribute to an energy score that will help you take charge of your day. If this sounds familiar, it's because this is what other smart rings do, so there aren't really any novel features on the health and wellness side.

However, Samsung is taking things a little further with the Galaxy Ring's capabilities, letting it do things you won't find on many other devices. The first of which is gestures, a feature that was hinted at in previous patents and which we frankly didn't expect to see on the finished product. When trying out the Galaxy Ring, I was able to snap some photos using the Galaxy Z Flip 6 just by pinching my fingers together twice. The same gesture also dismisses alarms, which is particularly helpful for people who prefer to sleep with smart rings over smartwatches.

The gestures worked surprisingly well when I tried them, and it makes me wonder what else Samsung has planned for the Galaxy Ring.

Samsung also demonstrated the ability to locate the Galaxy Ring based on its current or last-known location. The Galaxy Ring supports Bluetooth LE 5.4, and Samsung Find is able to ping the ring by turning on its sensor lights to help you locate it if it's nearby. I'm not sure how helpful this will be in actual use, as the lights weren't very noticeable in the bright environment I was in, but given the lack of finding features on other smart rings (I'm looking at you, Oura), I can't fault Samsung for doing what it can, and every bit helps.

Samsung Galaxy Ring: High upfront cost, low ownership cost

The Galaxy Ring costs a lofty $399, which is no small price for such a small device. The That's easily $100 more than competing smart rings, including the cheapest Oura Ring styles and much more than the starting price for the Galaxy Watch 7. I'm not really sure what mind Samsung was in to charge this much for the smart ring, but I suppose they have to cover R&D costs somehow.

The saving grace is that, unlike Oura, the Galaxy Ring won't require a subscription. Oura charges $5.99 per month to access its most useful, which equals about $72 a year. So, in the long run, the Galaxy Ring is cheaper than the Oura Ring. But still, that's a pretty steep upfront cost given that plenty of other (cheaper) smart rings don't require a subscription either, and I imagine it might deter some users on a product category that is still taking off with one proven contender and a handful of smaller companies.

In addition, Samsung may be playing the long game with the Galaxy Ring, similar to Oura. In a recent interview, Oura suggested that we shouldn't expect a Gen 4 any time soon as the company continues stuffing new features and capabilities into the ring. I can see Samsung going this route, keeping the same model Galaxy Ring for several years before possibly offering an upgraded model. This way, the upfront cost won't hit as hard since you won't have to worry about a newer, better model arriving the following year.

Preorders for the Galaxy Ring start on July 10, and it goes on sale on July 24.

It’s hotter than all get out, which means we’re right in the middle of summer. This also means that we’re gearing up for the latest Galaxy Unpacked event. We’re expecting it to be jam-packed, complete with phones, wearables, and possibly more. Samsung is hosting its Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, but you don’t have to jump on a flight. Instead, you can watch from the comfort of your own home, so hit the link below to learn more about the event. 

• Samsung Unpacked 2024: how to watch and what to expect from the event

From the way that everything appears to be shaking out, Samsung’s next lineup of foldables are taking a backseat this year. Instead, the focus is expected to be on the company’s wearables. Not only are we expecting the Galaxy Watch 7, but rumors suggest Samsung is set to announce two new products, one of which sees Samsung entering an entirely new product segment. 

• Reserve the Galaxy Watch 7 or Ultra and get $50 off—No payment required

Let’s get the party started with arguably the most highly-anticipated product that could finally debut at Unpacked — the Galaxy Ring. Until recently, Oura has really been the only player in the smart ring market, as the original Oura Ring was released in 2015 following a successful Kickstarter campaign. Since then, Oura has released two new iterations, with the most recent being in 2023 and the 4th generation is expected sometime this year. 

Other companies have joined the fray, with notable releases from Ultrahuman, RingConn, and Amazfit. Seeing the success and market heating up, Samsung wants to get in on the fun, with rumors of a potential Galaxy Ring beginning in 2023. 

Galaxy Ring rumors sporadically popped up as we went into 2024, and was surprisingly announced at the end of the first Galaxy Unpacked of the year. Not much was actually shared, as Samsung only showed off a teaser video, confirming the name, and that it would be released “later this year.” 

 We had to wait about a month and a half to learn more, as Samsung showcased the Galaxy Ring at MWC 2024 in Barcelona. It was here that the company began revealing and confirming what this new wearable would be capable of. This includes things such as the smallest version weighing just 2.3 grams, while the heaviest one weighs 2.9 grams. In comparison, the Oura Ring “tips the scales between 4 and 6 grams.” 

Besides that, Samsung stopped short of revealing much more about the Galaxy Ring, besides that “it’s a wellness-focused gadget taking on the likes of Oura, packed with a bunch of sensors.” 

Our very own Nick Sutrich was on the ground at MWC 2024, and was able to get a “close-up look” at the Galaxy Ring. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a hands-on session, but Nick provided us with his own opinions while snapping a bunch of photos showing off the array of sensors on the inside of the different rings. NIck came away feeling “particularly impressed by how much the Samsung Galaxy Ring looks like a proper piece of jewelry rather than a geeky gadget.” 

From there, bits and pieces of information about the Galaxy Ring has been rumored and/or leaked. In March, Dr. Hon Pak, head of the digital health team at Samsung, confirmed that this new wearable “lasts for about five to nine days.” The battery life is dependent on the size that you get, as the smallest Galaxy Ring is equipped with a 14.5mAh cell, with the largest coming with a 21.5mAh battery.

Shortly after the battery life was seemingly confirmed, a report surfaced suggesting that Samsung was gearing up “to produce 400,000 units for its launch.” The same report also confirmed that the Galaxy Ring would not be labeled as a “medical device,” as the company was “still going through the required certification loops.” Instead, Samsung is expected to market the Galaxy Ring as a “wellness wearable” at launch, but that could change if the medical certification is acquired.

At this point, there were still a lot of questions left unanswered, but some of that changed after nine models of the Galaxy Ring appeared at the FCC. This confirmed that Samsung will offer the Ring in sizes ranging from Size 5 to Size 12. The FCC appearance also gave us our first look at the “charging cradle” for the Galaxy Ring, but the filing only showed a drawing of the bottom of the cradle. 

It wouldn’t be until June before more information was leaked regarding the cradle, this time coming courtesy of Ice Universe. An official-looking render showed that the Galaxy Ring will likely reside in what looks to be a ring box when it needs to be charged. When the box is opened, there’s a “raised portion with the expected contact pins for charging purposes.”

A little over a month ahead of the expected launch date, Samsung filed a lawsuit against Oura Health Oy, the parent company of Oura Ring. It might seem like an odd thing to do considering that the Galaxy Ring was not yet released. However, the documents stated Samsung’s reasoning was due to “Oura's pattern of indiscriminate assertion of patent infringement against any and all competitors in the smart ring market" is an "actual, imminent risk to Samsung.” 

The move makes sense from Samsung’s point of view considering that Oura pointed out that it holds “100 granted patents, 270 pending patent applications, and 130+ registered trademarks.” At the time of this writing, there has yet to be an outcome rendered in the lawsuit, which was to be expected. 

By filing the lawsuit, Samsung also revealed that the Galaxy Ring was entering “mass production ‘in mid-June 2024’ and will open smart ring sales ‘in or around August 2024.’”

Following the lawsuit, only a few other bits of information have trickled out regarding the Galaxy Ring. Instead, it’s just been a waiting game until Galaxy Unpacked gets underway. 

Much like the Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, we’re not expecting many changes when it comes to the Galaxy Watch 7. However, the big change this year is that it’s unlikely that Samsung will release a Watch 7 Pro or Watch 7 Classic. On the bright side, spec leaks point to the Watch 7 still coming in two sizes; 1.3-inches or 1.5-inches. Besides that, don’t expect much in the form of any major design changes.

Instead, the bigger change will come via the rumored Exynos W940. According to a rumor earlier this year, the W940 is internally known as the Exynos 5535 but will be branded. What makes the W940 so special is that it’s rumored to be built on the 3nm process, and “allegedly ‘improves power consumption by 50%, performance by more than 30%, and reduces area by 35%.’” The Watch 7 is also rumored to now offer 32GB of storage, a big upgrade over the 16GB found in the Watch 6 lineup.

When it comes to software, we’re in for another year of Samsung relying on Wear OS. However, the Watch 7 is said to be released “with One UI Watch 6 before receiving the full Wear OS 5 update later this fall.” One UI Watch 6 is currently in beta, but will likely launch alongside the Galaxy Watch 7. With it, Samsung is implementing a slew of Galaxy AI features, including things such as “energy score, workout routines, racing past routes, new HR metrics, and enhanced health algorithms.”

In lieu of the Galaxy Watch Pro or Classic, Samsung’s borrowing a trick from Apple’s playbook as all signs point to the Galaxy Watch Ultra arriving at Unpacked. Rumors of an Ultra smartwatch began swirling in late 2023, suggesting that Samsung was working on an Apple Watch Ultra competitor. At the time, one rumor claimed Samsung would opt for MicroLED, the same technology found in many of the latest Samsung TVs. It would also give Samsung a jump-start on Apple, as the latter has been rumored to implement MicroLED into its high-end smartwatch.

As is the case with most devices, we got our first “look” at the Galaxy Watch Ultra thanks to renders from @OnLeaks and SmartPrix. These renders also seem to confirm one way that Samsung aims to differentiate the Watch Ultra from its cheaper counterparts. Instead of using the tried-and-true round design, the renders showed off a smartwatch with a “squircle” frame. Yes, it’s the same design as the icons found on Samsung smartphones. 

Along with revealing the renders, OnLeaks stated that the Watch 7 Ultra would feature a 1.5-inch display. Although this is the same screen size as the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, the overall dimensions would be slightly different, measuring 47 x 47.14 x 16.4mm. Some of the other inclusions mentioned in this leak are a rotating bezel, and a third button, perhaps similar to the Action Button from the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Although the renders and information from OnLeaks were convincing, some didn’t consider them serious until the Ultra stopped by the FCC. This didn’t provide too much, besides confirming the model number (SM-L705,) along with LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC support. But, this was only the beginning.

As the calendar turned into July, the biggest leak came in the form of supposed spec sheets for both the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. This gave us a pretty clear picture of what to expect, seeming to confirm much of what was previously leaked. According to the leaked spec sheet, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is said to be powered by a 3nm SoC named the Exynos W1000, paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. 

The leaked spec sheet also taught us that this is about as close as it gets to being a true Apple Watch Ultra competitor. Samsung’s Ultra is said to use a Titanium casing along with Sapphire Glass while offering IPX6 dust resistance and being equipped with a 10 ATM waterproof rating.

From here, the only question remaining is how much Samsung plans to charge for the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra. That question was somewhat answered in the same leak that revealed the entire spec sheets. I saw “somewhat,” because the leaked pricing is for what the wearables could retail for in France. With that in mind, the Watch 7 is said to start at €319 (~$342) for the 40mm model, going up to €349 (~$374) for the 44mm version, and the Watch Ultra comes in at €699 (~$750.)

With Samsung’s lineup of wearables out of the way, it’s time to switch gears to the new phones that we’re expecting. It’s admittedly a bit odd knowing that the Galaxy Fold and Flip won’t be taking center stage, but with two brand-new products, it kind of makes sense. Along with that, the leaks and rumors suggest that at least one of these foldable phones won’t be more than an iterative update.

Kicking things off with the smaller of the two, it didn’t take long before we started seeing rumors about the Galaxy Z Flip 6. One of the big complaints regarding Samsung’s foldable phones is that the cameras fall a bit short compared to the company’s flagship slab phones. However, in August 2023, an early rumor claimed the Galaxy Z Flip 6 would be upgraded with a 50MP primary lens. 

A subsequent report from Ross Young of DSCC claimed that Samsung was looking to increase the size of the Cover Screen. This would mean moving up from the 3.5-inch panel on the Flip 5 to about 3.9-inches on the Flip 6. At the same time, Young also claimed that both screens on the Fold 6 would be larger, but stopped short of providing specific sizes.

Although battery life has gotten better thanks to improvements made to the Qualcomm’s chips, it’s still not quite on par with traditional phones. Samsung was reportedly testing larger batteries for the Flip 6, potentially resulting in the same battery size as the standard Galaxy S24 at ~4,000mAh. 

Fast forward to March, and we got our first supposed look at the Galaxy Flip 6 courtesy of renders from OnLeaks. This seemed to confirm that the Flip 6 would be a bit thicker, presumably to accommodate a larger battery. However, it also potentially debunked previous rumors of a larger Cover Screen, as the renders portrayed Samsung relying on the same size displays from its predecessor.

There was a bit of a lull in terms of any “major” leaks or rumors regarding Samsung’s smaller foldable phone. However, that all changed in May as the Flip 6 made an appearance at the FCC alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Coming as little surprise, this did nothing more than confirm the model number, in addition to the 5G network support, to go along with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and wireless charging. 

Last, but certainly not least, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is also expected to be announced during Galaxy Unpacked. Samsung hasn’t had much pressure to deal with here in the States, but we were hopeful that the OnePlus Open would push Samsung to innovate its book-style foldable further. However, the company was seemingly looking to take a different approach as rumors earlier this year suggested a cheaper Z Fold was in the works.

According to multiple reports, Samsung was “considering developing an entry-level model for the new Galaxy Z Fold 6. The goal with such a move would be to cater more towards the Chinese market, where the foldable competition is much more fierce. This was followed by the appearance of a third device codename appearing alongside Samsung’s component orders for the Z Fold 6 and Flip 6. The codename, Q6A, denotes an alternative version of the Z Fold 6, which carries the Q6 codename. 

Surprisingly, not much else was leaked regarding the Galaxy Z Fold 6, until renders appeared courtesy of OnLeaks and SmartPrix. These got us a bit excited, as they showed off a supposed redesign with flatter edges, similar to what we saw with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. As a result of this change, the Cover Screen would sport a 22:9 aspect ratio, slightly wider than the 23:9 ratio of the Z Fold 5. Unfortunately, this also would mean that while the inner screen would be larger, it likely wouldn’t be very noticeable.

Instead of trying to take the fight to OnePlus or Vivo, the next set of rumors seemingly confirmed that while the Fold 6 wasn’t going to be completely overhauled, Samsung was set to at least make it lighter. The first rumor claimed the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would be “the world’s first foldable phone with a titanium frame,” following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This would make it lighter, while also aiming to improve the durability, which in turn, could result in higher sales as there are still concerns about the longevity of foldable phones.

A few weeks later, Ice Universe claimed the “Galaxy Z Fold6 weighs 239g and finally reaches the first-tier level. It weighs the same as the Voyage Black OnePlus Open.” The comparison to the Open is an obvious one, as OnePlus really won over foldable fans with the release in late 2023. However, it’s worth pointing out that this would offer quite a dramatic decrease in weight as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 weighs 256 grams. 

While many of us were enjoying burgers, hotdogs, and fireworks, a surprise leak spilled the beans on the specs for Samsung’s upcoming foldables. According to the leak, both devices would be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the display on the Z Fold 6 would now be able to reach up to 2,600 nits of brightness, a massive improvement over the 1,750 nits from the Fold 5. 

Despite relying on the same 4,400mAh battery, the leak showed claims of an extra hour of “LTE internet,” and two more hours of video playback. It also revealed that Samsung would not be implementing any upgrades to the triple rear camera setup, marking the third generation of Z Fold devices to use the same camera system.

Given all of the leaks and rumors about what is set to be a somewhat boring release, there was still hope that Samsung would be lowering the cost of its foldable pairing. Unfortunately, a report in June claimed that not only would we not be seeing lower prices, but that the Flip 6 and Fold 6 would actually cost $100 more than their predecessors. What makes matters more frustrating is that the only real explanation could be a rise in cost for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, as that’s what’s been attributed to the higher price tag of the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Samsung’s second major event is set to get underway at any minute, but we’ll keep you posted on what we think about today’s announcements. And remember, you can watch Galaxy Unpacked alongside us, as it’s being live-streamed. Just hit the link below to learn more about how to watch as Samsung unveils its next lineup of flagship products.

After a brief teaser video, Samsung wasted no time talking about AI, as TM Roh, President of Samsung Mobile, took to the stage to kick us off! Roh states Galaxy AI will come to more than 200 million Galaxy devices this year, while bringing support to more than 16 languages.

The first new device to be "unveiled" is the Galaxy Ring. There are three different sensors that track sleep, activity, heart rate and more. Samsung also claims the Galaxy Ring will be able to last for up to seven days on a single charge.  

Samsung's literally not wasting any time here. A couple of minutes after talking about the Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is being revealed. The video playing shows the Ultra at a bunch of different angles, including close-ups of the new quick release band system. 

Samsung's claiming the Watch Ultra can last for up to 100 hours in Power Saving mode. Part of this is made possible by the new 3nm processor, the Exynos W1000, making it the "fastest Galaxy Watch." Oh, and this is the first smartwatch to launch with Wear OS 5. 

Samsung's BioActive Sensor has also been revamped to provide better and more accurate recordings. It allows for tracking blood pressure, ECG, and for the first time on a Galaxy Watch, is capable of identifying Sleep Apnea. Samsung was able to acquire FDA approval for the Sleep Apnea feature, which is quite impressive.

In a recap of sorts, Samsung announced that the Galaxy Watch Ultra is priced at $349, the Galaxy Watch 7 got a brief mention with a starting price of $299, and the Galaxy Ring comes in at $399. You can pre-order any of these starting today!  

I can't believe how quickly Samsung is moving here. We're not even 30 minutes into the event, and now the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are being announced. Samsung claims it's taken "another giant leap forward" with the Fold 6 between the layers of the display and durability.

• How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Samsung managed to slim down the bezels and make the screen brighter for the Fold 6, maxing out at 2,000 nits of brightness. It's also bringing Ray Tracing to its foldable, while also working with partners to improve Vulkan compatibility for games. 

Unsurprisingly, Samsung's bringing new Galaxy AI features to the Fold 6. Circle to Search is getting new features as it can "instantly translate" whatever is on the screen if it's in a different language. "Learn with Circle to Search" lets you circle the problem and provides step-by-step instructions on how the answer is achieved. 

Also, who still uses navigation buttons as opposed to gestures? 

Samsung's also pointing out how Galaxy AI is "multi-modal." This gives you different ways to interact with AI, whether it's with your camera, voice, text, or even handwriting. Now, Jenny Blackburn from VP of Gemini User Experience at Google, has taken to the stage to talk about Gemini.

Apparently "Gemini is deeply integrated and optimized" for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It sure seems like this might be the first phone to launch with Gemini as the default voice assistant, replacing Google Assistant. 

Composer makes drafting emails easier with just a prompt. Then, you can have Gemini automatically insert it with the tap of a button. 

Voice Recorder is now directly integrated into Samsung Notes. Galaxy AI can translate the recording, and is capable of separating up to ten different speakers. Or, you can just view a summary of the voice recording. 

Now that Samsung Unpacked is underway, we can finally preorder the new devices! More early deals are expected to go live throughout the day, but you can already check out some sweet opportunities from the likes of Verizon, AT&T, and Samsung itself. The entire lineup of Galaxy devices hits store shelves on July 24th, so take advantage of these preorder deals before they're gone for good. You can find all of the deets here: 

• How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
• How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

With the S Pen and Fold 6, Sketch to Image lets you draw something on your phone and "bring it to life" with Galaxy AI. It understands what you're trying to draw and provides different styles. But, it also works with the pictures that you take.

Sydney Sweeney is in the audience to help showcase the Portrait Studio feature. It takes an image and provides several different art styles to choose from. 

Now, we're onto the Galaxy Z Flip 6 starting with showing off its ability to work as its own tripod for a BTS group recording dance moves and a music video. 

Samsung is upgrading the Z Flip 6 camera system, headlined by the 50MP wide-angle lens. Supposedly this will be able to match the Galaxy S24 thanks to the "Pro Visual Engine." Makes us wonder whether the Fold 6 has this feature, or if it's limited to the Flip 6. 

The Flip 6 features a built-in Vapor Chamber for the first time. Helping to let the battery breath a bit. It's also the "strongest Flip yet."

AI is also coming to the "Flex Window" on the Flip 6, letting you generate unique wallpapers. There are new cases that have built-in NFC and will automatically change the Flex Window wallpaper to match the case design. 

Okay, the event has definitely slowed down a bit as Samsung has moved onto the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I feel like we've seen these before. 

Adaptive Noise Control on the Buds 3 Pro turns down the background noise around you. But Siren Detect also ensures that you can still hear emergency vehicles. We presume this will also be available for other sounds and noises. 

The Galaxy Buds 3 are also being released, offering an "Open Type" design, with an Adaptive EQ, while being priced at $179. The Buds 3 Pro are priced at $249 and you can pre-order these today. 

Samsung confirmed the jump in price for its foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is now $1,099 for the base model, while the Fold 6 jumps up to $1899. Coming as little surprise, the Fold 6 and Flip 6 will receive seven years of OS upgrades. 

All of the devices announced today are available starting on July 24th. 

Rick Osterloh from Google is now on stage talking about the advancements in AI. While also talking about the ongoing partnership between Samsung and Google and how its "revolutionized the mobile expeirence for billions of users."

New Gemini upgrades and features are on the way, including real-time multi-modal models for smartphones. Osterloh says that the latest foldables are the "perfect devices for innovation" in an effort to "supercharge your life." 

Osterloh decided to randomly drop yet another teaser for the XR platform that Samsung and Google have been working on. It comes as a bit of a surprise, as Osterloh also stated that this XR platform is coming this year. However, he stopped short of revealing any other specifics.

TM Roh jumped back on stage, giving us a recap of the devices and Galaxy AI features that were announced today. The event ran a little bit over an hour, ending with another Samsung commercial, similar to the one that we saw at the start. 

Well, well, well. Guess what just showed up at the door! I genuinely can't wait to get the Galaxy Z Fold 6 all set up and start putting it through its paces. So be sure to stay tuned for the full review, along with some editorials and more!

With the launch of the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra, these are the first smartwatches to be released with Wear OS 5. However, shortly after the announcement, a blog post published on the Wear OS support page stated that Google's next major wearable update will only support the new "Watch Face Format." 

This was announced at Google I/O 2023 but essentially means that if you're currently using a watch face downloaded from the Play Store on a Wear OS 4 device, you won't be able to use it if you upgrade to the Watch 7 or Watch Ultra.

• Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra hands-on: I hope you like squircles

It turns out that Samsung might already have more devices to show off, but decided against doing so today. Shortly after Galaxy Unpacked came to a close, it was revealed that "there will be a Tab S10 series," and that it would be arriving "before the end of the year."

What makes this all a bit odd is that the Galaxy Tab S9 lineup was shown off during last summer's Galaxy Unpacked event. Details regarding why the Tab S10 was pushed back are currently unknown. It could be related to there simply being too many products announced today, or perhaps we're in store for an overhaul to Samsung's tablet lineup.