REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy Ring

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is the company’s latest attempt to diversify its wearable lineup. Designed as a discreet and minimalist health tracker, it offers users an alternative to more traditional wearables like smartwatches. With solid battery life and strong sleep tracking features, the ring mostly delivers on its promises.

However, its size, lack of ground-breaking fitness features, and reliance on the Samsung ecosystem mean it might not be the perfect fit for everyone.

Design & Charging Case

The Galaxy Ring’s design is functional and minimalist, with a brushed metal finish that avoids looking overly “techy.” It’s lightweight, which makes it comfortable for all-day wear, but its size might not appeal to everyone. While it’s far from bulky, the ring’s slightly larger dimensions are noticeable, especially on smaller hands.

The charging case is compact and efficient, with a simple magnetic slot for the ring and a USB-C port. Charging is quick and hassle-free, which complements the ring’s decent battery life. While the design is understated and practical, it stops short of feeling like a true replacement for jewellery—this is still clearly a piece of tech.

Fitness Tracking

The Galaxy Ring includes a range of fitness tracking features, from heart rate monitoring to calorie counting and activity detection. It’s accurate and effective, though it offers little that hasn’t already been seen in Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series.

For those familiar with Samsung’s ecosystem, the fitness tracking will feel familiar—competent, but not revolutionary.

The ring does have one distinct advantage: it can offload some tracking features to a Galaxy Watch. This should extend its battery life even further, though I wasn’t able to test this functionality. For users without a Galaxy Watch, however, the tracking experience feels less like a step forward and more like a pared-down version of what other wearables already offer.

Sleep Tracking

Where the Galaxy Ring stands out is in its sleep tracking. Over the past few weeks, my sleep quality has been poor, so I was curious to see if the ring could provide useful insights. Using metrics like heart rate, oxygen saturation, and movement, the ring tracks sleep stages and provides feedback through the Samsung Health app.

The app’s insights were detailed and practical, helping me identify patterns and make small but impactful changes to my bedtime routine. For example, I started avoiding screens before bed and established a more consistent schedule. While these adjustments weren’t groundbreaking, they were enough to improve my sleep quality slightly over the review period.

The sleep tracking feels like the ring’s most valuable feature, especially for users who want to monitor their rest without the bulk of a smartwatch. That said, these insights are not unique to the Galaxy Ring—similar features are available on other wearables, often with better display options for reviewing data directly.

Battery Life

Samsung claims the Galaxy Ring can last up to seven days on a single charge, and while I didn’t quite reach that mark, I managed a respectable six days. This is still impressive for a device of its size, especially one that handles continuous health tracking.

The charging process is straightforward, with the magnetic charging case taking under 90 minutes for a full recharge. For users with a Galaxy Watch, the ability to transfer some tracking duties to the watch could stretch the battery life further, though this feature remains untested in my review.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is a solid addition to the wearable market, particularly for users who value discreet health tracking. Its sleep tracking is particularly useful, and the battery life is strong enough to avoid frequent recharges. The design, while sleek, is slightly larger than ideal, and its reliance on Samsung’s ecosystem might limit its appeal for users outside that bubble.

For those already invested in Samsung’s devices, the Galaxy Ring offers practical integration and decent functionality. However, it doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking compared to existing smart rings or fitness trackers. It’s a competent device that feels more like a complementary product than a standalone must-have.

Samsung Galaxy Ring Pricing & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is available now on Samsung.ie, with an RRP of €459 (as of 11.12.24, Samsung are doing €90 cashback so the ring can be purchased for €369 after cashback).

It comes in three colour options, Gold, Black or Silver and, if you’re not sure of your ring size, you can order the (free with Galaxy Ring purchase) Samsung Galaxy Ring Sizer Kit which lets you find out, ahead of finalising your ring order, so you can then update your order with the correct size.