Samsung Galaxy Ring Review: A Lightweight Oura Rival That Relies on the Samsung Ecosystem

When it comes to smart rings, Samsung was the first big company to pose a threat to Oura. In many ways, the Galaxy Ring’s release is a simple move: it’s light, well-made, and tightly connected to Samsung’s environment. Also, it’s expensive and can’t do much.

Smart rings could be useful. The Finnish company Oura was the first to do this, and Samsung hinted at its plans back in January. The Galaxy Ring came out in the summer, but at first it was only available in a few areas. For example, sales didn’t start in Finland until November.

The Galaxy Ring isn’t trying to be a smartwatch. It doesn’t send alerts or messages, and it’s not meant to replace a sports watch, which usually supports a lot more activities and lets you find your way around. In the best case, a smart ring can be used instead of an exercise band for simple tracking.

Oura wants to be a one-device answer that has all of its apps, but Samsung saw the Ring as part of a bigger ecosystem. The ring can be worn by itself, but it’s clearly made to go with a phone or a phone and a tracker together. Galaxy Ring only works with Android phones, while Oura works with both Apple and Android phones. Some features can only be used on the Samsung Gear.

Beyond Oura, there aren’t many real foes left. RingConn Gen 2 is a notable competitor.

Specifications

Sizing, purchase, and packaging

There is a step to take before buying a Galaxy Ring. For the ring to work well, it needs to fit right.

For first-time buyers, a Ring Sizing Kit is what you should get. The kit costs 10 euros and comes with plastic figures from 5 to 13 inches tall. The fee for the size check is applied to the real purchase.

Because finger sizes change throughout the day, Samsung says to try on a test ring for at least 24 hours. The right ring shouldn’t be able to move around or press against the finger. It turned out that 11 was my perfect size. You order the smart ring after getting it made.

It costs 479 euros in Finland for the Galaxy Ring. Titanium comes in Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold. The unit we looked at was Titanium Black.

The ring, a charging case, a USB-C cable, and instructions are all in the sale box. Unlike Oura, Samsung’s ring doesn’t need a contract to use its features. This means that it will cost less in the long run.

Design and comfort

The titanium used to make the ring keeps its weight low, between 2.3 and 3 grams, based on the size. And because it’s lighter than the Oura Ring 4, the Galaxy Ring is nice and easy to wear every day.

The ring’s shape is curved, and the middle is set back a little from the edges. The form is mostly for looks, but it is a useful clue. The smooth edge keeps the surface from getting scratched.

Setting it up is easy. To couple the ring, charge it, and leave it in the charging case. Then, press the case button for a few seconds. Samsung Wearable and Samsung Health can talk to the ring. During setup, the apps receive the necessary parts and updates and give you tips on how to use them.

The sensors on the ring face the palm when it’s on, and a small bump helps you line it up right. There are big bumps on the inside that hold the ring in place. You can feel them when you rub the surface, and while they are more visible than on the inside of Oura, they don’t feel bad. The smoother inside of Oura is a little more comfortable, but the change isn’t very big.

From the inside, you can also see red and green LEDs close to the health sensor and battery state LEDs. Flashing green means there is enough charge, while flashing red means you need to charge it.

Samsung says that the ring is very resistant to water: it can be submerged in water up to 100 meters deep for up to ten minutes, and it has an IP68 grade for thirty minutes of immersion at 1.5 meters.

Fit and size are unique. The size that was chosen stayed on securely during the test time. Samsung’s marketing says that it can be worn on any finger, but reps from the company suggested the index finger. In practice, readings from the index finger and the middle finger were about the same, so choose the one that feels best.

The finish looks good at first, but after a few weeks, the edges started to show some light wear, so the high-end feel isn’t perfect for a device that costs close to 500 euros.

Sensors and measurements

There is an accelerometer, a skin temperature sensor, and a PPG-based sensor inside the Galaxy Ring. These sensors are used to read things like blood measures, heart rate, and body temperature.

The ring doesn’t have its own GPS; it gets its exact position information from other phones. The accelerometer keeps track of steps, but it’s not as exact as a device that is designed to do that.

Samsung thinks that the ring will go well with both a phone and a smartwatch. In that combination, it mostly adds to and confirms the other facts. One way is to charge a watch overnight and let the less noticeable ring track sleep. When worn together, the watch and ring do most of the tracking of movements and heart rate, with the ring doing cross-checks.

Apps and interface

Samsung’s approach to apps is much easier than Oura’s, which has a lot of features. The Galaxy Ring’s apps send info that has already been mostly broken down so that it can be used quickly, but they also let you dig deeper if you want to.

Samsung’s Wearable app is used to set up and handle the device. To see health information, you also need Samsung Health. Wearable connects to Health for more in-depth views. When new Samsung users try to access values through the Wearable, they are often taken to Health, which is where they should be to look at their data.

The most important measures are shown by wearables: stress, sleep, energy, and heart rate. The energy number is made up of three parts: daily activity, heart rate, and sleep. Sleep breaks down sleep factors in great depth. Heart rate keeps track of results, but it’s not very useful in real life. Stress keeps track of daily changes with a full log, but not much background information.

Android 11 or later is needed for all main functions. Samsung phones are the only ones that have some useful features, like motions that let you reject a call or take a picture with a double pinch. Android users who don’t use Samsung phones also miss the ability to easily pair their phones and find their rings.

Accuracy and real-world performance

Even though the data was generally easy to find and well organized, some Galaxy Ring measurements didn’t work out as expected during tests.

The most obvious problem was the sleep score. The ring consistently scored sleep as almost perfect, giving nights scores of 97 to 99, which did not match what the person said they felt. For the same nights, both a tracker and an Oura Ring 4 showed lower, more likely numbers. But Energy had a response that said sleep wasn’t healing enough. That inconsistency made no sense.

Step counting was also not always accurate. When more than one Samsung device was used, step counts sometimes doubled during syncing, giving falsely high totals for a short time. When used by itself, the ring didn’t count steps as accurately as a tracker from a different brand and a second smart ring. So, the ring’s solo step numbers don’t make me feel good.

The values for stress also changed. On similar days, stress levels were almost at their highest one day and almost at their lowest the next. Stress trends were more consistent and convincing when a comparison ring was used.

Battery life and charging case

With a Galaxy Watch6 Classic running at the same time, the ring could measure things for about six days on a single charge. Using only the ring cuts down on use by about 25%, giving you just under five days of use on a single charge. Given how small the ring is, that’s a good runtime.

The charging case that comes with the headphones looks and works a lot like a real wireless earbud case. It looks good, is simple to use, and can be charged wirelessly or via USB-C. You can charge the case only sometimes, so you can keep it away from an outlet and charge it every two weeks.

An illuminated ring on the case shows how much power is left in both the case and the ring. What a smart and useful touch! Other businesses should copy it.

The ring charges quickly, going from almost empty to full. A quick 15–20 minute charge usually adds 16–21% juice, which is useful for quick boosts in the shower or between activities.

Pros and Cons

Good

• Clear, simple apps.
• No subscription fees.
• Solid battery life.
• Thoughtful charging case.

Bad

• Occasionally unreliable measurements.
• Requires two apps for full functionality.
• High price.

Verdict

After three weeks of using the Galaxy Ring, I’m not too happy with it overall. As advertised, the ring is very small and comfortable to wear. However, the quality of the build and measurements are not up to par for a device that costs close to 500 euros.

Even so, Samsung’s smart ring is a good product in this field. The Galaxy Ring works pretty well for a first try, but its measures aren’t always accurate, and some features need two apps. Samsung’s real strength is how well it works with other devices. The ring connects to both the phone and the watch, and this will work out well for many people in the long run.

Oura still puts together a bigger set of data on its newest rings without using any other devices. Samsung says that after you buy something, you don’t have to pay a membership fee to use all of its features.

This watch is best for people who already have a Samsung smartwatch and want a more discreet option for nights out or certain sports. In that way, it meets a useful need.