Samsung Galaxy Ring first impressions

Samsung unveiled its first foray into the smart ring category with the Galaxy Ring earlier today and since we’re attending MWC, we got to see the health tracker in person. It comes in three official colors - Ceramic Black, Platinum Silver, and Gold.

The ring features an interesting design choice – it’s concave so the sides taper into the middle, kind of like a miniature car rim. It’s also really shiny regardless of which color you pick up, and seems like it will attract plenty of smudges. All of the demo units were placed behind glass but Samsung representatives assured us it’s extremely light and easy to wear 24/7.

Galaxy Ring will be offered in US ring sizes 5 - 13 with the exact size specified on the inside of the ring. One key aspect is that the bigger-sized rings will offer slightly larger batteries but there are no specifics from Samsung at the moment.

Samsung did not reveal the specific sensors inside the Galaxy Ring but we did get info that it will offer extensive sleep tracking with heart rate, breathing rate, night movement, and the ability to detect early signs of sleep apnea. You"ll need a compatible Galaxy smartphone and the Samsung Health app to see your data since the Galaxy Ring does not have any screens or buttons.

Samsung is also advertising the Galaxy Ring as the ideal companion for the Galaxy Watch series. The two can combine health and activity tracking data for more accurate results and the ring has obvious benefits as a much sleeker sleep tracker compared to wearing a smartwatch.

Like the newer Galaxy Watches, Galaxy Ring calculates your Vitality score based on a combination of daily activity, sleep, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability. Users can also set specific well-being goals and receive feedback on their progress via Booster Cards which will be available in the Galaxy Health app.

There are plenty of unknowns with the Galaxy Ring. How much will it cost? When will it bring support for non-Samsung smartphones and will it support iOS devices eventually? And perhaps the more pressing matter - when will it go on open sale? Samsung said it will provide more details on the Galaxy Ring later this year so we’ll have to wait patiently until then.