The Samsung Galaxy Ring is indeed on display at MWC 2024. Samsung announced ahead of the annual conference that its forthcoming smart ring would be "publicly displayed for the first time," and today, I just saw up-close on the show floor.
As expected, Samsung isn't offering demos of the Galaxy Watch to MWC attendees. Instead, "publicly displayed" means locked in large glass boxes at the company's booth. Still, I managed to get my first true look at the new fitness tracker in person since it was announced alongside the Galaxy S24 family during Galaxy Unpacked in January.
I'll admit, I didn't have high expectations for what I'd see. There's not much a company can do design-wise to deliver a smart ring that appears considerably different than others on the market. But discretion is a big selling point of a smart ring, so a slim size and sleek finishes are a must — the Galaxy Ring has both.
The ring is set to arrive in three colors: black, gold, and silver. The latter two are especially eye-catching in person, and in the right lighting they even seemed to glisten like real jewelery. In terms of width, it doesn't look particularly thinner or thicker than the Oura Ring Gen 3, though I suppose we'd have to measure them side-by-side with a caliper.
Samsung gave each color it's own display box, standing three up in the center and displaying nine more flat in a semi circle. The flat rings increased in size order from 5 through 13, showing us the nine total sizes that'll be offered for the Galaxy Ring. It's not clear yet whether Samsung will use a similar sizing process as Oura Ring, where a set of dummy units are shipped to buyers, or if they have something different planned. The proper size smart ring is necessary for a comfortable fit and accurate sensor readings.
Samsung Galaxy Ring: What to expect
Based on our experiences with Galaxy Watch devices, we have a good idea of what the Samsung Galaxy Ring experience will look like. It should adapt many Samsung Health features — such as activity tracking and sleep tracking — for the display-less ring form factor. As a result, users will rely heavily on the Samsung Health smartphone app to review their health data.
But Samsung could try to make the Galaxy Ring an enticing lifestyle product with help from big-name partners. That's been a key success point for Oura, after all. According to The Verge, who spoke with Samsung's VP of Digital Health Dr. Hon Pak, Samsung’s Natural Cycles integration will extend from the Galaxy Watch to the Galaxy Ring. That's already one major partnership, and I expect more to come through Samsung Health.
My theory for the emerging Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring competition is that price will play an important role for potential customers. Oura Ring starts at $299 and costs $5.99/month to use all the features. We don't know the price of the Galaxy Ring, but we do know that Samsung has refrained from charging users monthly for fitness features.
The Galaxy Ring launch is reportedly sometime in summer 2024, as reported by ETNews. It would make sense if it debuted with the next generation of Galaxy Watch devices during a summer Unpacked event.
