The Samsung Galaxy Ring has the ability to track various health metrics, such as heart rate. It is Samsung's first foray into the smart ring product category as it hopes to keep users tied to its ecosystem of devices, from smartwatches to smartphones.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
PARIS — Samsung on Wednesday launched the Galaxy Ring, its first foray into the world of “smart rings.” The South Korean tech giant is seeking to integrate its products, such as smartphones and wearables, and offer health-tracking features to compete with those of other manufacturers. AppleThe push into space.
The Galaxy Ring, which Samsung has been promoting for the past few months, is a lightweight ring equipped with sensors designed to monitor health around the clock, the company said at its Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday in Paris, France.
Samsung's foray into a new product category comes at a time when smartphone sales are recovering slightly, but users are holding on to their devices longer. Device makers are looking for complementary electronics to sell.
For Samsung, the Galaxy Ring adds a new device to its lineup that allows for tracking health features alongside its smartphones and smartwatches. In recent years, Samsung has tried to promote its health apps (which are increasingly popular among consumers) as a major reason to buy such products.
And Samsung is positioning the Ring as a device to be worn alongside its smartwatches and a smartphone, powered by artificial intelligence software, to offer a complete picture of a person's health, a move that could help boost sales of its other products.
“This will be the star of the show with all eyes on this new device and category for Samsung,” Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, told CNBC.
Pescatore said Ring is a “product that could help drive smartphone sales and migrate users to its platform.”
Main features and price of the Galaxy Ring
Samsung says the Galaxy Ring can monitor the following things:
- Sleep:The device can monitor a person's movement during sleep, sleep latency, heart rate and breathing rate, and provide sleep quality analysis.
- Menstrual cycleSamsung says it uses skin temperature to help track a person's menstrual cycle.
- Heart rate:The Galaxy Ring can inform users when their heart rate is abnormally high or low. Users can also monitor their heart rate in real time.
- Exercise:The Galaxy Ring can detect the type of workout or activity a person is doing.
The Galaxy Ring weighs between 2.3 and 3 grams, depending on the size you purchase. The device comes in three colors.
Samsung claims the Galaxy Ring's battery can last up to seven days. There's a portable charging case, just like the Air Buds wireless earphones.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring will be available on July 24 and will start at $399.99.
Samsung Gaming Ecosystem
On Wednesday, Samsung also unveiled its latest smartwatches: the Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. This is the first time Samsung has released an “Ultra” model of its smartwatch, a device designed for athletes and people who engage in activities such as hiking and mountaineering.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (left) and Galaxy Watch7 (right) are the latest smartwatches from the South Korean giant. This is the first time Samsung has launched an “Ultra” version of its wearable.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
The watches include new sensors and sports tracking features.
Samsung also launched its latest foldable devices on Wednesday: the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6.
With Ring, Samsung is seeking to more closely tie users to its ecosystem of products.
For example, when the smartwatch is connected to the phone, users can use a “double pinch” action with their fingers to answer calls or take a photo.
According to Samsung, when the Galaxy Ring, smartwatch and phone are combined, users get a more detailed picture of their health, especially when they sleep, because the devices take in data from more sources. Samsung claimed that the Ring's battery life is extended when used in conjunction with the smartwatch.
“In fact, the watch and the ring are part of the ecosystem expansion, which will become increasingly important as AI technology adds to the data collected from different devices. The more devices a user has from the same brand, the more complete the data collected will be, improving the effectiveness of AI digital assistants,” Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of devices research for Europe, Middle East and Africa at IDC, told CNBC via email.
“This truly personalized experience will drive users to choose devices from one brand over another.”
Samsung, like Apple, has been pushing the interconnectivity of its devices over the past few years to keep users interested.
“It's no surprise that Samsung is doubling down on its efforts to tie its products to an 'ecosystem story.' Apple has shown that driving interdependency between products is an extremely effective way to attract consumers to a specific brand,” Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC.
Ring is a 'niche' product
While the Galaxy Ring is unlikely to be a volume seller for Samsung, it does underscore how the tech company is looking to expand its audience.
“The Galaxy Ring is an interesting bet by Samsung,” Wood said, adding that the product category is a “niche segment” and that about 4 million rings are expected to ship in 2025. That's a “rounding error” compared to the 250 million smartphones expected to be sold next year.
“However, it is a device category that fits well with the growing consumer interest in tracking health metrics and is complementary to Samsung's current smartwatch sales, particularly when it comes to sleep tracking.”
While smartwatches are large devices, a smart ring is less intrusive and can be worn at night much more comfortably.
Samsung isn’t the only company selling such devices. Oura, one of the market pioneers, has sold 2.5 million units of its products over the past nine years, according to CCS Insight. With Samsung’s announcement of the Ring earlier this year, other players have become interested in the market. CNBC reported in February that Chinese electronics company Honor is developing its own smart ring.
Wood said Samsung will be able to establish the smart ring market on a larger scale than other competitors.
“Samsung is likely to be the market creator, given its global reach and significant marketing budget, raising awareness of a new product category that most consumers will never even have heard of,” Wood said.
The Galaxy Ring could open up new revenue streams in the software sector for Samsung. Users can get their data from the wearables through the Samsung Health app. Hon Pak, the head of Samsung's digital health team, told CNBC in February that the company is “considering” a subscription service for the app.
“For Samsung, this category may not become a major revenue stream, but it helps expand the wearables portfolio and opens the door to new services in the future, if they so choose,” said IDC's Jeronimo.
