The Samsung Galaxy Ring has the ability to monitor various health metrics such as heart rate. It’s Samsung’s first foray into the smart ring product category as it hopes to keep users locked into its ecosystem of devices, from smartwatches to smartphones.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
PARIS — Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Ring on Wednesday, its first foray into “smart rings.” The South Korean tech giant is looking to integrate its products – such as smartphones and wearables – and offer health monitoring capabilities to the rival applepushes into space.
The Galaxy Ring, which Samsung has teased in recent months, is a lightweight ring equipped with sensors designed to monitor health 24 hours a day, the company said at its Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris on Wednesday.
Samsung’s push into a new product category comes at a time when smartphone sales are seeing a slight rebound, but users are holding on to their phones longer. Device manufacturers are looking for additional electronic products to sell.
For Samsung, the Galaxy Ring adds a new device to its portfolio that can track health features alongside its smartphones and smartwatches. In recent years, Samsung has been trying to market its health apps — which are increasingly popular with consumers — as a big reason to buy such products.
And Samsung is positioning the ring as a device to be worn alongside its smartwatches and a smartphone, powered by artificial intelligence software, to provide a comprehensive picture of a person’s health, a move that could help increase sales in its other products.
“This will be the star of the show with all eyes on this new device and category for Samsung,” Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, told CNBC.
Pescatore said the ring is a “product that could help drive smartphone sales and move users to its platform.”
Galaxy Ring Key Features and Price
Samsung says the Galaxy Ring can track the following things:
- Sleep: The device can monitor a person’s movement during sleep, sleep latency, heart rate and breathing rate, and provide sleep quality analysis.
- Menstrual cycle: Samsung says it uses skin temperature to help track a person’s menstrual cycle.
- HEART BEAT: The Galaxy Ring can notify users when their heart rate is abnormally high or low. Users can also monitor their heart rate in real time.
- Excercise: The Galaxy Ring can detect the type of workout or activity a person is doing.
The Galaxy Ring weighs between 2.3 grams and 3 grams, depending on the size you buy. The device is available in three colors.
Samsung says the Galaxy Ring’s battery can last up to seven days. There’s a portable charging case, just like with the wireless air buds.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring will be available on July 24 and starts at $399.99.
Play for the Samsung ecosystem
On Wednesday, Samsung also unveiled its latest smartwatches – the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra. It is the first time the company has released an ‘Ultra’ model of its smartwatch, a device designed for athletes and those involved in activities such as hiking and mountaineering.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (left) and Galaxy Watch7 (right) are the latest smartwatches from the South Korean giant. It’s the first time Samsung has released an “Ultra” version of its wearable.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
The watches include new sensors and sports tracking functions.
Samsung also unveiled its latest foldable devices on Wednesday: the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6.
With the ring, Samsung is trying to connect users more closely with its product ecosystem.
For example, when the smartwatch is connected to the phone, users can use a “double-pinch” action with their fingers to answer calls or take a photo.
When the Galaxy Ring, smartwatch and phone are combined, Samsung said, users get a more detailed picture of their health, especially when they sleep, because the devices receive data from more sources. Samsung said the ring’s battery life is extended when worn alongside the smartwatch.
“Indeed, the watch and the ring are part of the expansion of the ecosystem, which will become increasingly important as AI technology is layered on top of the data collected from different devices. The more devices a user has from the same brand, the more comprehensive data collected, enhancing the effectiveness of AI digital assistants,” Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of device research for Europe, Middle East and Africa at IDC, told CNBC via email.
“This truly personalized experience will drive users to choose devices from one brand over another.”
Samsung, like Apple, has pushed the connectivity of its devices in recent years to keep users engaged.
“It’s no surprise that Samsung is doubling down on connecting its products to an ‘ecosystem story.’ “Apple has shown that promoting interdependence between products is a highly effective way to lock consumers into a particular brand,” Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC.
The ring is a “position” product.
While the Galaxy Ring is unlikely to be a huge volume seller for Samsung, it does highlight how the tech company is looking to expand its audience.
“The Galaxy Ring is an interesting bet from Samsung,” Wood said, adding that the product category is a “niche segment” and that about 4 million rings are expected to ship in 2025. That’s a “rounding error” compared to the 250 million smartphones expected to be sold next year.
“However, it’s a device class that fits well with consumers’ growing interest in tracking health metrics and is complementary to Samsung’s current smartwatch sales, particularly in sleep tracking.”
While smartwatches are bulky devices, a smart ring is less intrusive and can be worn at night much more comfortably.
Samsung is not the only company selling such devices. Oura, one of the market leaders, has sold 2.5 million units of its products over the past nine years, according to CCS Insight. With Samsung announcing the ring earlier this year, other players have become interested in the market. CNBC reported in February that the Chinese electronics player Honor is developing its own smart ring.
Wood said Samsung will be able to build the smart ring market on a larger scale than other competitors.
“Samsung is likely to be the market maker given its global reach and significant marketing budget that will raise awareness of a new product category that most consumers won’t even have heard of,” Wood said.
The Galaxy Ring could open new software revenue streams for Samsung. Users can get their data from the wearables through the Samsung Health app. Hon Pak, head of the digital health group at Samsung, told CNBC in February that the company was “looking into” a subscription service for the app.
“For Samsung, this category may not become a major revenue stream, but it helps expand the mobile device portfolio and opens the door to new services in the future if they decide to,” said IDC’s Jeronimo.
