Updated 19 September 2023: We updated this article on 19 September 2023 to include new details on the 2024 release date of the Galaxy Ring.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring may not be official – but new information has pointed to a 2024 release date.
Smart rings are having a big moment in wearables, with multiple companies chasing Oura Ring 3, the smart ring incumbent, which has cornered the market with a strong suite of health features. And we've also seen patents for an Apple smart ring – so everyone is looking at the form factor.
Smart rings are attractive because they’re (in theory) less noticeable than a hulking great smartwatch. They also enable you to keep wrist space free for nice watches or jewelry, and as they don’t have a screen, you’re not pestered with notifications. What’s more, sensor accuracy at the finger can be better than at the wrist.
We’ve seen multiple patents for the smart ring over the past year, and Samsung has also officially named the device to regulators. So it really seems more of ‘when’ than ‘if’ at this stage.
Here’s everything we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy Ring.
New just in
9to5Google has uncovered details of the Galaxy Ring in a deep dive into the Samsung app code.
It seems that the Galaxy Ring will indeed be called that (shock – as that's the same they registered with regulators) but also that it will be released in 2024.
Possible release date
Wareable
There's no chance we'll see the Galaxy Ring in 2023, but following the 9to5Google report, it looks nailed on for a release in 2024.
Galaxy wearables tend to get refreshed around August.
However, Samsung may give the Galaxy Ring its own limelight with a release earlier in the year. Well-known leaker IceUniverse claimed on Weibo that Samsung would make the Galaxy Ring a star product at the Galaxy S25 launch in January 2024. So we might not have long to wait.
What we know so far
The existence of a Samsung Galaxy Ring first appeared in a patent, which we reported back in October 2022.
And it didn’t take long to rear its head again.
In Febuary 2023, a trademark for the Samsung Galaxy Ring was granted by KIPRIS, the Korean Intellectual Property Right Information Service.
The description read: "A smart device for measuring health indicators and/or sleep in the form of a ring.”
No other details are really available in the application for the Galaxy Ring moniker – but the fact that it has a name is great news.
Fast forward to July 2023, mention of the Samsung Galaxy Ring possibly appeared in a beta version of the Samsung Health app.
Spotted by Reddit users, there’s precious little information in terms of specs, features or what the Galaxy Ring might actually do, but the app references “Ring Support."
This could refer to support for a Galaxy Ring, support for other smart rings – or, let's be honest – Ring doorbells, or anything else. But it's another pointer that Samsung could be serious about the smart ring market.
And now in September 2023, mention of the Galaxy Ring has been spotted in Samsung APK.
Expected Galaxy Ring features
Samsung
So what will the Galaxy Ring do?
According to the patent filings, it could feature the ability to take ECG measurements, monitor temperature and even control other connected devices.
Filed in October last year with the USPTO - and first spotted by Korean outlet Naver - the filing's sketches and notes point to a fairly sensor-packed ring, with ECG and PPG sensors.
And may also feature the ability to take blood pressure readings, matching the capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.
So this would be a smart ring with a big health focus – something that would more than match the technology offered by the Oura Ring 3.
Smart home integrations
But it’s not all about big health features – and Samsung could be looking to bolster its smart home ecosystem with any future smart ring. That's backed up by a patent from back in 2016.
The Galaxy Ring patent talks up functions to help link up with and control the likes of smartphones, tablets, and TVs, too.
It’s the kind of integration we've yet to really witness on a smart ring, and it would be interesting if Samsung could build in meaningful features without adding to the overall size.
Wareable says:
It does make plenty of sense for a big-name company to join a smart ring market currently dominated by startups, however, and, given Samsung's reputation as an innovator, it's possible that a Galaxy Smart Ring would prove to be a popular alternative to the company's smartwatches.
Even without any of its usual competition, though, Samsung has plenty of catching up to do, with the likes of the Oura Ring 3 offering up excellent sleep tracking accuracy and plenty of health insights in form factors that are getting both thinner and lighter.
Samsung Health has come on leaps and bounds and we saw some excellent health features land on the Galaxy Watch 6 with One UI 5 Watch and Wear OS 4. So Samsung seems well placed to deliver a strong fitness and health smart ring in 2024.
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.