Samsung’s Galaxy Ring combines accurate activity and heart-rate tracking with automatic workout detection, cycle tracking through Natural Cycles, and seamless integration with Samsung phones and Galaxy Watches. It has no subscription fee, but its most useful software features require a Samsung Android phone and the Samsung Health app. WIRED’s review also found that its sleep tracking can be overly generous, while several competing smart rings offer different trade-offs in accuracy, battery life, pricing, and subscription requirements.
Samsung Galaxy Ring: strengths and trade-offs
Former WIRED editor Adrian So found the Galaxy Ring’s accuracy comparable to that of the Apple Watch Ultra. The ring can automatically detect workouts, including pool workouts, and its heart-rate tracking is reliable.
Its cycle-tracking feature works with the fertility-tracking app Natural Cycles and uses skin-temperature sensing to estimate when a period is coming. According to the review, this feature works effectively.
The Galaxy Ring also comes with an attractive transparent charging case with LEDs that indicate the battery level.
The main trade-off is that the Galaxy Ring is available on most Android smartphones, costs about the same upfront as the Oura Ring 5, and does not require a subscription. However, features such as the daily Energy Score and health tips—called Booster Cards by Samsung—depend on Galaxy AI. They are available only when the ring is used with an Android phone and the Samsung Health app.
Adrian So also found the Galaxy Ring somewhat too generous with sleep tracking. That result is unsurprising because the ring does not include a gyroscope.
If you use a Samsung phone and a Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Ring offers Apple-like seamlessness and interoperability.
Other smart rings tested by WIRED
WIRED’s review team has tested several other smart rings over the years. These are some of the alternatives to consider.
Oura Ring 4 is $349
The Oura Ring 5 is the smallest smart ring on the market, while the Oura Ring 4 is even slimmer and lighter than its predecessor. A ceramic version is also available. Reviewer Simon Hill reported reduced battery life and some scuffing on the silver Ring 4, but did not experience either issue with the ceramic version.
Liebling is $199
Liebling is an affordable, subscription-free smart ring from the UK that provides simplified statistics for activity, sleep, and stress. Its sleep tracking was highly inaccurate, however. The ring often reported that users had slept in bed the entire time, even when they were watching television or reading.
On one night, it reported 8 hours and 43 minutes of sleep, compared with 6 hours and 52 minutes recorded by Oura. The app also needs refinement. For example, only a few hours into the day, it may report that the user’s behavior is “bad” without adequately accounting for the limited amount of data collected.
Simon Hill also lost data when the ring’s battery died on the first night, and the app did not provide a warning notification to recharge it. A fully charged ring is advertised to last up to eight days, but his experience was closer to five days.
RingConn Gen 2 is $299
Although the RingConn Gen 2 costs $100 more than the Gen 2 Air, it remains a relatively affordable subscription-free smart ring. The Gen 2’s main advantages are sleep-apnea monitoring and a titanium construction. The Gen 2 Air is made of stainless steel.
Smart rings to avoid
Amazfit Helio Ring
Amazfit makes affordable fitness trackers such as the Active 2, so the company’s smart ring appeared promising. The Helio Ring falls short in several areas, however. Its textured bronze finish is appealing, but it is the only available color. Current sizing is limited to sizes 8, 10, and 12, with sizes 7 through 13 also planned.
The Helio was often inaccurate, with heart-rate measurements that differed widely from other wearable devices. It does not offer automatic workout tracking, averaged three days of battery life in testing, and frequently disconnected from the busy and confusing Zepp app.
Although the ring has no monthly subscription fee, Amazfit offers Aura AI for $70 per year, which provides sleep insights and content, and Fitness for $30 per year, which includes an AI coach. The two separate subscriptions were described as expensive and confusing.
The Helio works better alongside a smartwatch, such as the Amazfit Cheetah Pro, because data can be combined. As a standalone device, however, it cannot be recommended. —Adrian So
Movano Evie Ring
When the subscription-free Movano Evie Ring launched, it was marketed as a fitness tracker focused on women’s health. Its menstrual-health features are now considered limited compared with those offered by competing products. Oura and Galaxy Ring can accurately track cycles, making the Evie Ring less compelling. The ring is also currently sold out.
Source: www.wired.com