There's already a lot to love Samsung's Galaxy Ring. Its handy portable battery case means you don't have to think too much about when to charge it. The design is comfortable to wear day and night, and Samsung's power output feels like a step toward what could one day be digital health coach.
But there are ways Samsung can push things forward, either in a next-gen model or through software updates. A silent alarm, easier access to exercise metrics, and more gesture controls could make the Galaxy Ring better at its most important things: being a sleep and exercise companion.
The smart ring market is becoming increasingly competitive. Oura just launched it Ora ring 4 in October, and the Consumer Electronics Show is just around the corner, where we'll see even more health-tracking rings debut. The International Data Corporation predicted in September that the smart ring category could grow by 88.4% in 2024, which would be a huge jump compared to other types of wearables such as smart watches. That makes Samsung's approach to the smart ring space all the more important in the years to come.
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Silent alarm
The Galaxy Ring can already tell me how well (or how badly) I slept last night. But I want it to let me know when it's time to wake up. A silent, vibrating alarm would make the Galaxy Ring infinitely more useful in that regard. Ideally, I'd like two options: One that wakes me up at the optimal time in my sleep cycle, and a manual option to set an alarm at a specific time. Health technology company Circular's smart ring it does just thatand I hope Samsung follows suit as it makes the Galaxy Ring feel like a more complete package.
Adding vibration capabilities will likely make the Galaxy Ring thicker and heavier than the current model. But if Samsung ever launches different tiers of its smart ring in different price ranges, much like it does with its phones, perhaps a more expensive “pro” or “plus” version of the ring could have an alarm, while a sleeker, cheaper version it would be for sale without it.
An easier way to see your Samsung phone metrics
Smart rings, of course. they don't have screens like smart watches and fitness bands do. That means checking your phone after a workout to see metrics like heart rate and calories burned. But a smartphone maker like Samsung can do a better job of getting around this by leveraging how its wearables work alongside phones. For example, what if you could attach health metrics to the always-on screen of a Samsung phone? It would make it easier to see progress during training at a glance.
More gesture controls
Using the double-tap gesture to dismiss an alarm.
One of the Galaxy Ring's most prominent abilities is its gestures; you can take a photo or dismiss an alarm on your Samsung phone with a double pinch of the fingers. It might sound a little gimmicky — and it is — but I've found it surprisingly useful for silencing my alarm after groggily waking up from a nap.
I would like to see Samsung take this further. Media playback seems like another possibility where gestures could be useful. I also like the idea of being able to customize what this gesture can do, like answer or reject a phone call while wearing headphones or start and stop a workout. Or what if Samsung added another gesture, like a single or triple pinch, so you could select more than one shortcut?
It's unclear when or if Samsung will release new Galaxy Ring models every year like it does with phones and smartwatches. If it does, we probably won't hear more about it until the summer, when the company usually releases new wearables and flip phones. But what's clear is that there's plenty of room for growth for Samsung's tiny health tracker.