Samsung has become the first tech giant to release a smart ring – which can track sleep, movement, periods and heart rate.
The South Korean company released the Galaxy Ring on Tuesday as part of its latest wearable technology – also announced was the new Galaxy Watch Ultra.
It said the £400 ring, which is scheduled to launch later this month, will come with a battery life of up to seven days and is designed to be worn 24 hours a day to help users monitor their health stats during the day, but also while they sleep.
Coming in three colours – gold, silver and black – and nine sizes, the ring uses artificial technology (AI) to analyse biometric data collected from the person wearing the device and connects to the Samsung health app.
It then has the ability to assess an individual’s well-being and deliver an “energy score” that will range from one to 100 and make recommendations like a virtual fitness coach.
Away from fitness, Samsung says users can also take photos or snooze alarm clocks by pinching their fingers.
Although smart rings are nothing new – members of the England squad were spotted wearing a tracking ring, from Finnish health technology company Oura, during training for the Euro 2024 last month – Samsung is the first out of larger companies like Apple and Google to release the technology.
The decision to do so has been called an “interesting bet” by industry expert, Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight.
Mr Wood said the smart ring has a strong selling point because many people do not wear smartwatches to bed so are missing out on potentially useful sleep data, but the “huge complexities” around the tech still makes it a risky launch.
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“It’s a logistical nightmare considering smart rings typically come in nine different sizes and numerous colours,” he said.
“As a result, consumers require a sizing kit to get their finger sized before making a purchase. Having strong retail partners or a comprehensive retail network is essential to success. I’ll be watching the rollout with interest.”
He said ICC Insight is estimating a total of around four million smart rings to be sold in 2025, falling far behind the expected 250 million smartwatches.
However some, like Dave Thomas who works with England’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the UK Sports Institute, says smart rings can be more convenient for athletes – which means they actually use them.