I just got my hands on a brand new Samsung Galaxy Ring here in Malaysia, and while I didn’t have the time to test it out fully, I spent a bit of time with it. So here’s everything that you need to know before deciding if this ring is a great step forward… or a massive mistake.
Charging Case
All right, let’s start with the charging case, because this thing looks like it belongs to a sci-fi prop drawer. It is, hands down, one of the nicest looking and the most functional charging solutions that I’ve ever seen on a wearable.
The Galaxy Ring comes in three color variants: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold. But what many didn’t mention is the fact that these three colors can be seen with the case closed, as there’s a sort of colored ring around the case—a tiny detail that wasn’t mentioned, but I thought was cool.
The case is very sturdy and has a very solid hinge, so that itself didn’t feel like it was a cheap device.
I’m glad that the hinge was not something like the ones that companies would use for those plastic earbuds—well, probably, except for the Nothing Ear’s case, which did give me similar vibes.
Ports & Charging
There is a USB-C port at the back, and I love how they’ve kept that simple. No proprietary charger nonsense. So thank you very much, Samsung, for not making me use some weird magnetic wire that I would lose in 3 days—or probably the first day even. So, you can just plug in your USB-C cable and you’re good to go when it comes to charging this ring.
The ring also snaps into place magnetically, but keep in mind that the holder is only based on your ring size, which means that if you have a partner or a friend who has this Galaxy Ring, but if your ring sizes are different, you can’t charge the same ring in the same case.
When you drop the ring onto the case, there’ll be a satisfying ring light that will go around the case to indicate how much charge it has. I do appreciate that, because this means that you don’t always have to reach up to your phone to kind of guess how much battery you have left.
Speaking of which, the ring is said to give about 7 days of use, but of course, this depends on your usage. For example, if you only use the ring at night to track your sleep, or if you use it together with your Galaxy smartwatch, you will get different results. Stay tuned for my in-depth tests on that.
So yes, overall, the case itself feels solid, not cheap or flimsy, and I can definitely see myself just tossing it in my gym bag or putting it in my pocket without worrying about it breaking or getting scratched up.
The Ring
So, on to the ring. The first thing I noticed is how ridiculously light this thing was. Now, obviously the weight depends on the ring size, but it was overall very minimal and sleek that it really blends onto the finger.
At first, before putting on the ring, I thought that it looked thick, but after putting it on, I was finally okay with this form factor, especially with the number of sensors that it has—and more on these sensors in a while.
I was a little skeptical about the recessed design going all around the ring. I thought maybe it would dig in or just feel awkward when I wear it, especially for something that’s supposed to stay on your hand day and night, and also with the fact that it has an IP68 rating too. But all in all, it actually contours to the finger in a very comfortable way.
The build quality doesn’t feel like some plastic toy. It is titanium, solid and premium, and the finish is also super clean.
It has subtly raised edges and from what I can tell, it will definitely help to protect the surface from wear and tear over time. So Samsung thought a lot when it came to making a device which is built to last.
Then there’s also a raised line or indicator on the ring that you’ll need to put at the bottom of the finger. Now, that is something to be aware of to get the sensors to read better.
At first, I thought this was more of a design thing, and when I wore it “wrong”, my buddy Kevin told me about that, so keep that in mind as well.
Features
As for the features, just like any smart ring, this is best to track your sleep, workouts, step counts, and everything health-related. It syncs with the Samsung Health app.
This is only compatible with Android devices, but if you don’t use a Samsung phone, you won’t get that double pinch gesture. Speaking of which, I had the chance to try this double pinch gesture, and it works very well. But you need to get used to it to get it right all the time now.
Honestly, I still prefer Samsung’s hand gesture when it comes to using their camera app to take photos. It was and still is the easiest way to take a photo. But yes, the double pinch would be a good party trick to impress your friends or family.
Price & Availability
Overall, just from this short time with it, I can already tell that Samsung is serious about making their smart ring experience very premium.
If you’re watching this and if you’re based in Malaysia, the steps to get yourself one are different from those overseas. Instead of ordering the test kit and waiting for it to ship before ordering — or getting it in Best Buy if you’re in the U.S. or something, and praying to God that they have stock.
In Malaysia, you can head to any one of the Samsung Experience Stores where they do have the sizing kit from sizes 5 to 15.
But here is a tip: make sure that the ring fits snugly and not too tight, and neither too loose. And for the best results, you’ll need to put it on your index finger or your middle finger.
The Galaxy Ring comes at a retail price of RM2,099 (~USD 472). Expensive or not? Would you wear a RM2,000 ring to bed? I am seriously curious.
As usual, I’ll be using this daily to see how it holds up in a real-world situation. So do subscribe to my YouTube channel Adam Lobo TV if you guys haven’t done so.
