Following its initial announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year, Samsung has officially showcased the Galaxy Ring, a smart ring capable of measuring physiological values such as heart rate and activity level, at this week’s Mobile World Conference (MWC) 2024. The Galaxy Ring is expected to be released later this year.
Part of Samsung’s Smart Health series, the Galaxy Ring represents a new form factor for digital health devices following the smartwatch. It integrates with the Samsung Health digital health platform, focusing on AI-based personalized health management. While Samsung has not disclosed the specific sensors used in the ring, it is believed to feature both electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors. In 2022, media reports revealed that Samsung had obtained a patent for a ring with these two sensors, posing a challenge to existing smart ring supplier Oura.
The Galaxy Ring comes with new health application management features. For instance, it includes the My Vitality Score service, which provides sleep, activity, heart rate, and heart rate variability measurements. Additionally, the Booster Card can track predefined measurement goals. These two applications, along with the Samsung Health App, will be launched later this year. These services can be utilized not only with the smart ring but also with the Galaxy Watch 6, in conjunction with Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S24.
The physiological data collected by the smart ring will be aggregated into Samsung Health’s global dataset, which comprises 64 million users worldwide. This data will serve as the foundation for Samsung’s AI-driven health management services. In terms of sleep detection, Samsung recently announced that its Health Monitor App’s sleep apnea detection feature received certification from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making it the first app of its kind to obtain such official approval.
Samsung’s plan is to establish a health ecosystem by leveraging its digital health management platform and peripheral devices such as smartwatches and smart rings in collaboration with third-party partners. For example, last month Samsung announced that its Galaxy Watch became a heart rate monitoring device for the VR physical therapy platform XRHealth. Additionally, Samsung’s Sleep Mode technology, including LED infrared sensors and SmartThings control functionality, is being integrated into smart mattresses developed by partner companies to adjust mattress environments, such as temperature, to aid sleep.
Samsung has also expressed interest in incorporating contactless payment functionality into the ring, according to CNBC.
The showcased Galaxy Ring comes in nine sizes and three colors: gold, silver, and black. While the product is set to be released this year, Samsung has not disclosed specific details regarding pricing and availability. The Oura smart ring, which offers body temperature, heart rate, and blood oxygen measurements and has a battery life of approximately seven days, is priced between $299 and $549, with an additional monthly fee of $5.99.