I’m super excited for Samsung’s new wearable

One more thing. Those three words are synonymous with Apple events, but the biggest One More Thing this year so far has come from Samsung as its Galaxy S24 launch in January. The Galaxy Ring, briefly teased at the end of an event put on for other devices, is Samsung’s answer to the Oura Ring, proving this nascent industry is the next race in the health space.

At Galaxy Unpacked 2024, Samsung didn’t reveal much about the Galaxy Ring. But the company brought it to MWC 2024, where I got to go hands-on with the hardware. I was left impressed by Samsung’s design choices and its vision for how the Galaxy Ring fits into its health portfolio. Here are are my impressions.

The design is better for my health conditions

A more comfortable shape

I’ve used the Oura Ring for a couple of years since my heart attack, and it’s aided me in many ways. But recently, I’ve struggled with its design. One of the by-products of high blood pressure – which is further exacerbated by my diabetes – is that I suffer from swelling of various proportions in my fingers, and often, the Oura Ring is too tight on my finger.

The Oura Ring uses a traditional convex design, which rounds outwards and adds a lot of friction to the surrounding fingers. My first immediate reaction to the Galaxy Ring is how much more pleasing the concave design is. The concave design means the Galaxy Ring curves inwards, so there’s less surface area rubbing against the surrounding fingers.

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According to Dr. Hon Pak, Samsung’s Chief Medical Officer and leader of the company’s Health team, the design choice also helps with swelling. With my index fingers swollen slightly, I compared the same size Oura Ring and Galaxy Ring (I did get to wear the Galaxy Ring, but I wasn’t permitted to take photos of the ring on my finger). I’ll reserve final judgment until I’ve spent extensive time with the Galaxy Ring, but it was considerably more comfortable than the Oura Ring of the identical size for a brief time.

Having been forced to stop wearing the Oura Ring for considerable periods due to the swelling, I’m excited that the Galaxy Ring could be the answer.

Lighter, sleeker, polished hardware

The Galaxy Ring looks and feels great

The other big design difference is that the Galaxy Ring is considerably lighter than the Oura Ring. Samsung’s ring weighs between 2.3 and 2.9 grams, whereas the Oura Ring is considerably heavier at four to six grams. This weight makes a huge difference when you’re wearing this daily, and I have found that the Oura Ring sometimes does feel heavy on my finger.

I also noticed that the sensors on the Galaxy Ring appear slightly smaller than the Oura Ring, which should help with swelling and overall comfort on your finger. The Galaxy Ring appears to use identical ring sizes to the Oura Ring, with no discernible difference between size 12 in each ring (my Oura Ring size). There are nine sizes available and three finishes, and they all feel premium in hand despite the significant drop in weight versus the Oura Ring.

It’s worth noting that while the sizing, sensor placement, and ring design are expected to be final, Samsung is still finalizing things like the exact finish. The battery capacities of each size are also expected to change, with Samsung telling me that it is still finalizing the exact details. This isn’t surprising, as we’re still months from an expected launch.

Is the Galaxy Ring the answer to ring-style wearables?

It’s too soon to know, but I’m hopeful

I’m a big fan of the Galaxy Watch 6, which I’ve used extensively, and the Galaxy Ring has the potential to be the best addition to the Samsung Health ecosystem in many years. Unlike devices such as the Galaxy Fit, Samsung’s vertical-style fitness band that tried – and failed – to capture lasting consumer interest, the Oura Ring has already proven a market for ring-like wearables.

Talking to Dr. Pak, it was clear that Samsung envisions a world where the Galaxy Ring simplifies wellness and allows you to capture data day and night. There are 64 million users in the Samsung Health ecosystem, and crucially, the Galaxy Ring is not designed to be an alternative to Samsung’s Watches; instead, it is designed to complement them, and Samsung is working to ensure that the Ring works in harmony with Watches in terms of capturing and syncing with Samsung Health on your phone.

Speaking of your phone: there is some bad news. Unlike the first Samsung wearable, the Galaxy Wear, the Galaxy Ring won’t be compatible with Apple devices. Instead, Samsung hopes the experience is appealing enough to inspire customers to switch ecosystems. Even for Android users, it’s not guaranteed that there will be support for other Android devices. However, Samsung did confirm that it is currently working on support for the broader Android ecosystem.

We still need to learn more about the Galaxy Ring, but we’re keeping an eye on new developments. I’m excited to experience the Vitality Score – which is Samsung’s answer to the Readiness score adopted by wearables such as the Whoop band and Oura Ring – and while this will launch with the Galaxy Ring, we were able to confirm that it will also come to Samsung’s other phones and watches.

Samsung will push this category into the mainstream

The biggest reason the Galaxy Ring could be a hit is that Samsung will push this category into the mainstream with considerable marketing. The form factor is familiar to everyone; it isn’t a hugely saturated category, and Samsung Health is already the most comprehensive all-around app-based health platform. Samsung also has the partnerships and experience to do what Oura can’t do and entice millions of developers to build new experiences around wearable products.

Questions still need to be answered, but my first experience with the Galaxy Ring has left me impressed, excited, and eager to learn more. My body is already pumping with excitement.