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[REVIEW] Samsung Galaxy Ring: What you need to know
I am not a big fan of jewellery, except for my wedding ring and smartwatch.
So, when Samsung sent me their new Galaxy Ring, I was excited and put away my smartwatch, wearing the ring instead during the short review period to get a sense of its capabilities and limitations.
Samsung's Galaxy Ring is comfortable if you get the right size, and I kept forgetting it was on my size 13 finger.
Ring size
The ring is available in Titanium Black (my review model's hue), Titanium Silver, or Titanium Gold colour choice.
It measures 2.6mm around its perimeter and retains that thickness all the way from US size 8 to 15. In case you were wondering, Samsung will send you a sizing kit before letting you complete an order here, which is quite cool before forking out a hefty price tag for something that is not comfortable.
After a few weeks of testing the Galaxy Ring, it is among my favourite smart rings I've tried so far, but it is pricey.
Health tracking
Compared to a smartwatch, the Galaxy Ring is simple; it tracks sleep, heart rate and activity, and it tries to help you interpret all this data in an easy-to-understand way in the Samsung Health app.
The Galaxy Ring stands out for its expanded feature set, which includes tools and utilities not found on competing smart rings, like finding it on a map if you lose it and taking photos remotely just by pinching your fingers together, like Apple's Double Tap feature on the Apple Watch
Samsung recommends wearing it on the index finger for double-pinch gesture control. I wish the Galaxy Ring could do a lot more with gestures.
Like most other rings of this type, it has an array of sensors on the inside: a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor with three LEDs to track changes in blood volume, an accelerometer, and a skin temperature sensor.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring comes with a beautiful charging case which has a futuristic look. When you flip it open, internal white lights greet you providing a charge indication. @Samsung #GalaxyRing @SamsungMobileSA @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/OogIgDxMo7 โ ๐ต๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ โก๏ธ (@FaizelPatel143) August 4, 2025
Connectivity
Despite being small and light, the Galaxy Ring is durable. It's made of Grade 5 titanium, has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and a 10ATM water pressure rating.
The Galaxy Ring requires a phone running at least Android 11 or newer, and you need a Samsung phone to access the full range of its features, such as Galaxy AI insights.
The Zenith Ring, by contrast, offers much more flexibility with support for both Android and iOS.
Battery
Battery capacity for the Galaxy Ring varies based on size, from 18mAh in the size 5 ring to 23mAh in the size 13, which I tested.
The biggest size powered through 6.5 days on a charge, just shy of Samsung's seven-day maximum battery life estimate.
The beautiful transparent charging case, which has a futuristic look, holds enough battery for about 1.5 charges, which equates to about 9 or 10 days total, depending on your ring size.
When you flip it open, internal white lights greet you, providing a charge indication
The case uses a USB-C connector to charge, but also supports reverse wireless charging from a Samsung phone.
Smart rings
Smart rings are a tough sell, given their limited tracking features and smaller size at a full-sized price.
Samsung's Galaxy Ring offers plenty to justify its R8 000 price, but an excellent build, case, and battery life can't disguise the fact that you're paying more for a piece of jewellery that does less.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring works seamlessly with the Galaxy Watch if you have one. It has a wonderful case, it is light, and features a full suite of health options, including cycle tracking and the ability to auto-detect pool swimming.
Verdict
However, exclusivity is its greatest gift, and it is not worth getting if you don't have a Samsung or Android phone, sorry, iPhone users. Features that I would consider necessary, like the Energy Score, require Galaxy AI, which is not available on other Android devices, meaning you won't get the metrics if you don't have a Samsung device. It also doesn't have a gyroscope or GPS.
At the R8 000 price, you can get the Oura or Zenith smart ring or even a smartwatch that measures more of your health, and if you are not into the health tracking game, you could even get a midrange smartphone for that price.
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[REVIEW] Samsung Galaxy Ring: What you need to know
The Galaxy Ring stands out for its expanded feature set. I am not a big fan of jewellery, except for my wedding ring and smartwatch. So, when Samsung sent me their new Galaxy Ring, I was excited and put away my smartwatch, wearing the ring instead during the short review period to get a sense of its capabilities and limitations. Samsung's Galaxy Ring is comfortable if you get the right size, and I kept forgetting it was on my size 13 finger. Ring size The ring is available in Titanium Black (my review model's hue), Titanium Silver, or Titanium Gold colour choice. It measures 2.6mm around its perimeter and retains that thickness all the way from US size 8 to 15. In case you were wondering, Samsung will send you a sizing kit before letting you complete an order here, which is quite cool before forking out a hefty price tag for something that is not comfortable. After a few weeks of testing the Galaxy Ring, it is among my favourite smart rings I've tried so far, but it is pricey. Health tracking Compared to a smartwatch, the Galaxy Ring is simple; it tracks sleep, heart rate and activity, and it tries to help you interpret all this data in an easy-to-understand way in the Samsung Health app. The Galaxy Ring stands out for its expanded feature set, which includes tools and utilities not found on competing smart rings, like finding it on a map if you lose it and taking photos remotely just by pinching your fingers together, like Apple's Double Tap feature on the Apple Watch Samsung recommends wearing it on the index finger for double-pinch gesture control. I wish the Galaxy Ring could do a lot more with gestures. Like most other rings of this type, it has an array of sensors on the inside: a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor with three LEDs to track changes in blood volume, an accelerometer, and a skin temperature sensor. The Samsung Galaxy Ring comes with a beautiful charging case which has a futuristic look. When you flip it open, internal white lights greet you providing a charge indication. @Samsung #GalaxyRing @SamsungMobileSA @TheCitizen_News โ ๐ต๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ โก๏ธ (@FaizelPatel143) August 4, 2025 Connectivity Despite being small and light, the Galaxy Ring is durable. It's made of Grade 5 titanium, has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and a 10ATM water pressure rating. The Galaxy Ring requires a phone running at least Android 11 or newer, and you need a Samsung phone to access the full range of its features, such as Galaxy AI insights. The Zenith Ring, by contrast, offers much more flexibility with support for both Android and iOS. Battery Battery capacity for the Galaxy Ring varies based on size, from 18mAh in the size 5 ring to 23mAh in the size 13, which I tested. The biggest size powered through 6.5 days on a charge, just shy of Samsung's seven-day maximum battery life estimate. The beautiful transparent charging case, which has a futuristic look, holds enough battery for about 1.5 charges, which equates to about 9 or 10 days total, depending on your ring size. When you flip it open, internal white lights greet you, providing a charge indication The case uses a USB-C connector to charge, but also supports reverse wireless charging from a Samsung phone. Smart rings Smart rings are a tough sell, given their limited tracking features and smaller size at a full-sized price. Samsung's Galaxy Ring offers plenty to justify its R8 000 price, but an excellent build, case, and battery life can't disguise the fact that you're paying more for a piece of jewellery that does less. The Samsung Galaxy Ring works seamlessly with the Galaxy Watch if you have one. It has a wonderful case, it is light, and features a full suite of health options, including cycle tracking and the ability to auto-detect pool swimming. Verdict However, exclusivity is its greatest gift, and it is not worth getting if you don't have a Samsung or Android phone, sorry, iPhone users. Features that I would consider necessary, like the Energy Score, require Galaxy AI, which is not available on other Android devices, meaning you won't get the metrics if you don't have a Samsung device. It also doesn't have a gyroscope or GPS. At the R8 000 price, you can get the Oura or Zenith smart ring or even a smartwatch that measures more of your health, and if you are not into the health tracking game, you could even get a midrange smartphone for that price.
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