Smartwatches have long reigned in the world of wearable devices. Smart rings have been around the periphery, but earlier this week, Samsung wrapped up its Unpacked event with a sneak peek of the Galaxy Ring. To me, that sounds like the company is eager to change the wearable world order.
That might sound hyperbolic given that all Samsung did was play a flashy reel of a glowing ring with a few sensors visible on the inside of the band. Few details were given on stage. But in an email, Samsung spokesperson Amber Reaver told me that the ring is intended to “empower more people to manage their health with a comprehensive but simplified approach to everyday well-being at home.” Part of that is having consistent and accurate tracking data over a long period of time; hence the smaller form factor. Reaver also noted that the ring will have “leading sensor technologies” and would be comfortable enough to wear 24/7. Some folks at Unpacked were also able to see a prototype, with analyst Avi Greengart noting that it's lightweight, comes in three finishes and in sizes up to 13, and will be available later this year.
It looks a lot like the Oura Ring, and Oura knows it. Shortly after the Galaxy Ring was announced, Oura CEO Tom Hale sent this spontaneous statement to The edge:
With new features released regularly, Oura has the strongest intellectual property portfolio (both hardware and software) for the smart ring form factor, with 100 granted patents, 270 pending patent applications, and over 130 trademarks. The entry of new players into the space is a validation for the category and drives us to aim higher to serve our members and the community.
Hale is right. Competence is a form of validation — and there are plenty of new players that Oura will soon have to face. Last week at CES, I argued that 2024 would be the year of the smart ring because I saw more of them on the show floor than I have in years. However, it's easy to overlook a horde of smaller companies latching on to a trend. It's another thing for a tech heavyweight like Samsung to say it also thinks there's something to this form factor.
If you think about it, it's easy to see why. Smart rings are more discreet and much better suited for sleep tracking than smart watches. (Samsung has also spent the last two years beefing up its sleep tracking features.) The bottom of the finger is also a more accurate place to track blood oxygen and heart rate. than your doll. And as smartwatches become increasingly popular, I've heard many readers yearn for simpler trackers that No They act as extensions of your phones. Given the stranglehold Apple has on the smartwatch market, it's smart for Samsung to try to own a newer form factor with only one major, but still relatively niche, player.
Because there are few details, it's hard to say what Samsung thinks of the Galaxy Ring within its broader portfolio of wearable devices. That said, I can see it becoming an accessory for the Galaxy Watch. For example, the Amazfit Helio is a smart ring that can act as a standalone tracker or something that can be paired with your existing smartwatches. The argument is that when it's time to sleep, you can connect your smartwatch to the charger without worrying about missing out on sleep tracking. This is also a natural fit for Samsung, especially since it could easily create a bundle of discounted wearables. (It worked pretty well for Google when it bundled a Pixel Watch with Pixel phones.)
This is also an area where Oura would find it much more difficult to compete. While Oura Ring works with other smartwatches, it requires a third app like Apple Health or Google Health to gather data from each device. It means having multiple apps cluttering up your phone. You may not like being locked into one ecosystem, but the convenience of having a Galaxy phone, Galaxy Watch, and Galaxy Ring is the ability to see everything from the Samsung Health app.
You can bet other major companies will follow suit if Samsung is successful. And if that's the case, the way we view smart rings may ultimately shift from standalone devices to something that's more of an accessory for other contraption. We'll have to see how everything plays out once the Galaxy Ring is available, supposedly later this year. But I, for one, am glad to see some movement in a segment that has been dormant for far too long.
