Samsung is well-known for its powerful smartphones with beautiful displays and its sleek smartwatches, among other devices, like TVs, laptops, and tablets. With many large companies, most notably Apple, coming out with a VR headset this year, it seemed like the next big thing Samsung was going to announce was its very own rumored XR/VR headset.
To everyone's surprise, Samsung revealed at the end of January's Galaxy Unpacked event that it was working on a new wearable: the Galaxy Ring. This exciting announcement followed a keynote speech about Samsung Health, but no specific information was given about the new wearable.
If you're wondering what the Galaxy Ring is or when it'll be released, you're not alone. Here's everything we know right now on Samsung's latest gadget.
Latest news (Updated Feb 4, 2024)
- Feb 4 2024: Interview: Oura VP on smart rings and Galaxy Ring's announcement
- Jan 17 2024: Surprise Galaxy Ring announcement capstones Galaxy Unpacked
- Sep 2023: Galaxy Ring could arrive alongside S24 Ultra
- Jul 2023: Initial rumors of Samsung's Galaxy Ring
Price
While there's no official price yet for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ring, it's a pretty safe bet to consider it might be priced around the same as the Oura Ring at $300. Currently, the Oura Ring also requires a monthly subscription for full features, but with Samsung not requiring a subscription for its Galaxy Watches, we're hoping the company also opts for a no-subscription model for the Galaxy Ring.
Release date
Towards the end of 2023, we saw plenty Galaxy Ring patents pop up to give us an idea of what the ring might look like, but no official release date has been mentioned yet. With Samsung announcing its Galaxy Ring at the Unpacked event in January, it's likely that a 2024 or 2025 launch is in the works, but take all estimated release dates with a grain of salt until Samsung says something.
Specs
Right now, there are no official specs for Samsung's Galaxy Ring, but we do have a few filed patents to look at for possible information. Of course, keep in mind that filed patents don't always mean that a feature or a piece of tech will show up on the final product.
In one patent image from 2022, shown below, the ring appears to have an inner electrode, which will probably be used for recording constant body data, like heart rate and body temperature. Then, two ring illustrations show a small, rectangular outer electrode that would respond to touch input. Two other illustrations show possible variations of outer electrode placement.
Another Galaxy Ring patent image was found in late 2023, shown below, that demonstrates a few exciting potential features. In addition to illustrated hands demonstrating how the touch input would work on the ring's outer surface, a closeup of the ring shows what might appear on the ring's touchscreen.
In this closeup, an email icon with "Gmail" written underneath it is prominent on the display. Then, there are lines pointing to a camera above the email icon and two buttons on either side of the email icon.
Past these guesses at specs based on patent images, there's not much leaked information about Samsung's Galaxy Ring just yet. As we approach a release date, we'll probably start hearing more information from reliable tipsters.
Outlook
While many people were shocked to see Samsung announce a smart ring instead of its rumored XR/VR headset, it's not too surprising. With Apple, Meta, Valve, and so many other major companies entering the VR space this year, Samsung would have to do a lot with its VR headset to stand out. But if it's one of the only companies with a smart ring to challenge the Oura Ring, that's an easier battle.
There's not much we know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring right now, but with Samsung's recent focus on health- and sleep-tracking in its popular smartwatches, we're excited for what's to come with this new smart ring. Be sure to check back in between now and Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event (likely in July 2024), where we might get more than a visual teaser of the Galaxy Ring.
