First looks: Samsung Galaxy Ring, without any of its powers combined

Do you like it enough to put a ring on it? What about a smart ring instead? #galaxyai #samsungunpacked #galaxyring

By Liu Hongzuo - 28 Jan 2025

Note: This feature was first published on 10 July 2024 and now updated with local pricing and availability. At the time of re-publishing this story, we've yet to receive a working Galaxy Ring for personal trials. However, this story will give you some insights about design, fit and ring sizing. Stay tuned to our upcoming review.

Besides the usual announcements at Samsung's July 2024 Unpacked keynote, the Korean brand gave us some updates on a new wearable category it was trying to venture into. The Samsung Galaxy Ring was first teased during the Galaxy S24 series launch, and now the company has shared more information about the smart ring's intent (which you can read about here).

Guess what? We had the chance to try on the Galaxy Ring during our demo session before the keynote in Paris, France.

Samsung Galaxy Ring in three colourways.

There's just one glaring omission about our brief hands-on experience with the Samsung Galaxy Ring. The demo session was limited to getting the right fit for our fingers. There was no opportunity to test the smart ring's features, nor could it connect to the demo phones (or even Samsung staff phones) to try any of its supposed health tracking or notification features. We're afraid you'll have to wait until we get a working retail version.

That doesn't mean our experience with the Samsung Galaxy Ring was fruitless. With all the different sizes and colourways available at the venue, it was a great chance to see if Galaxy Ring's design and handling met our expectations.

Samsung's take on a smart ring pretty much confirms a trend we've seen in our journey with all-powerful rings from lands far and near (read our reviews of of smart rings here). Much like the rings wielded by men, elves, dwarves, and Zachary (our editor), Galaxy Ring has a near-featureless, clean exterior with zero emblems, except for one line-shaped marking (more on that below). It uses a polished mounting (silver and gold) or matte look (for black), with all its sensors and logos tucked away on the inside.

It's worth noting that a wide variety of ring sizes were available, from Size 5 to Size 15 (previously only till Size 13). There could be more, but we didn't explore beyond the sizes that we could not fit (these Galaxy Rings we've tested are Size 8).

Wearing the Samsung Galaxy Ring the correct way: line marking on the inside of the palm. Photo: HWZ.

According to the Samsung ring-sizers at the venue, each Galaxy Ring comes with a single-line marking that indicates the "base" of the smart ring. To allow its sensors to work, a user should wear it on the inside of the palm, not outward-facing. However, Samsung added that even if the ring goes off-centre during everyday use, it doesn't affect detection. We can only take their word for it since none of the rings were powered.

Inside are three visible bumps that look like sensor housing, with the Korean brand's logo seated opposite of the sensors. During our trials, we couldn't feel any of the sensors poking into our fragile, delicate finger despite a snug fit, so we have no concerns with its comfort or long-term use.

Also, the rings were strangely lightweight, which defied our expectations given the circuitry, components, and materials we expected the Galaxy Ring to have. It's more accurate to say that we couldn't feel them even after slipping them on.

The ring was also reasonably easy to remove since the sensors didn't scratch our skin on their way out. We credit that to the sloped housing on each sensor.

Even with the sensors and housing in mind, these Galaxy Rings's 7mm width feel considerably thicker than the accessory- or fashion-type rings we're typically used to, which gives a visual impression of an ill fit despite the comfort of wearing them. Having seen the wedding bands on my colleagues, I thought the Galaxy Ring was more akin to a local pub owner's gaudy personal collection. We think Samsung has some ways to create a thinner version of the Galaxy Ring with better styling flexibility, which can add to its appeal. At least they've gotten the colours right, even if they look a little toy-like (they don't seem metallic to the touch, despite the use of Titanium Grade 5).

The clear case for the Samsung Galaxy Ring. Photo: HWZ.

Another noteworthy mention was the clear casing that the Galaxy Rings came in, which doubles as the ring's charging dock. Each case came with a round, white button that sat in the middle of the holder, and there were specific connectors along the ring holder's circumference which interfaces with the ring to initiate its charging cycle. The case, of course, requires USB powered connector to charge the ring.

Unfortunately, we did not turn invisible when we tried the Galaxy Ring in all three colours, so there was no chance of sneaking the rings out of the demo session. Nobody proposed to us during our trial either, but it wasn't long before we had to return all three Galaxy Rings to Samsung.

Read more about the Samsung Galaxy Ring here and if you're interested to purchase it, it's available in 11 size options (from five to 15), and three colour choices (Titanium Silver, Titanium Black and Titanium Gold), at the Samsung e-store for S$538.

First looks: Samsung Galaxy Ring, without any of its powers combined

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