The Galaxy Ring: Тhe new must-have gadget or another ecosystem gimmick?

It’s time to dive into the world of these tiny tech marvels and find out what the buzz is all about.

First things first: What can they do?

Existing smart rings like the Oura Ring from the Finnish company Oura and the Helio Ring from Amazfit offer a range of health-tracking features. From monitoring your sleep patterns to tracking your heart rate and activity levels, these devices collect valuable data to provide insights into your overall health and fitness. By analyzing this data, you can understand your well-being better, which can, in turn, motivate you to make healthier lifestyle choices.

With a smart ring, you can also pay your bill. They have come a long way since the first one, RingPay, in 2013, which has only one feature– contactless payments. The upcoming Galaxy Ring is expected to also have contactless payment, along with all the health and fitness features, too, making it a more versatile option compared to RingPay.

Speaking of the Galaxy Ring again, there’s talk that it might be able to wirelessly control other devices, like your Samsung TV. It might also support ECG and blood flow measurements, which definitely turns it into more than a wellness product.

Reports point at Apple also exploring the development of its own ring. This rumored iRing (or whatever name the company chooses) would integrate health-tracking features from the Apple Watch onto your finger.

Meanwhile, rumors suggest Samsung is developing its own VR headset to rival Apple’s Vision Pro. So, looking ahead, future smart rings could potentially serve as controllers for AR/VR headsets. It’s totally possible that both tech giants could engineer their little wearables to play nice with their respective headsets.

Imagine this – improved hand tracking that lets you type more realistically, instead of just tapping away at buttons like we do with the Vision Pro, which currently only detects your pointer finger. However, only time will reveal the extent of these developments.

Smartwatch alternative or ecosystem lock-in?

The Galaxy Ring at the MWC in Barcelona (Image Credit–PhoneArena)

With the recent announcement of the Galaxy Ring, Samsung is throwing its hat into the smart ring game. While all the details are still under wraps, we can expect features like:

And hey, who says you have to choose one over the other? Having both a smartwatch and a smart ring could be the ultimate combo for dialing up the accuracy of your health and activity data.In the future, when your Galaxy Ring seamlessly syncs up with all your Galaxy devices or your iRing links effortlessly with your Apple gadgets, it could become the ultimate commitment ring to your tech ecosystem. Let’s be real, even without a ring, folks rarely switch from one system to another. But with a ring in the mix, things are about to get seriously locked in.

But are smart rings the future?

Image Credit–Samsung

Overall, it’s still early days, and forecasting the future is always a bit of a gamble. But there’s definitely a reason to be excited about smart rings. They offer a subtle and convenient way to stay connected. Unlike smartwatches, they are discreet and comfy to wear day in and day out. This makes them a great choice for folks who find traditional wearables a bit clunky, especially when it comes to tracking sleep patterns.

Smart rings bring the potential for more precise data since they sit closer to the skin, allowing sensors to gather information more accurately than wrist-worn devices. Plus, the absence of a screen in these tiny wearables could be a game-changer for battery life.

Imagine not having to reach for the charger every single day – a massive advantage, if you ask me. The Oura Ring boasts a respectable 7 days on a single charge, and the rumored Galaxy Ring is said to potentially stretch it to an impressive 9 days.