The Samsung Galaxy Ring can track various health metrics such as heart rate. It is Samsung's first foray into the smart ring product category and the company hopes to keep its users hooked to its ecosystem of devices from smartwatches to smartphones.
Arjun KharpalCNBC
PARIS — Samsung on Wednesday unveiled the Galaxy Ring, its first foray into the world of “smart rings.” The South Korean tech giant aims to integrate its products — such as smartphones and wearables — and offer health-tracking features that rival Samsung's. Apple's into the room.
The Galaxy Ring, which Samsung has been announcing for several months, is a lightweight ring equipped with sensors that enable 24/7 health monitoring, the company said Wednesday at its Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris.
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 electronic add-ons to sell.
For Samsung, the Galaxy Ring is a new device that can track health features alongside smartphones and smartwatches. In recent years, Samsung has tried to market its health apps – which are becoming increasingly popular with consumers – as a key reason to buy such products.
And Samsung is positioning the ring as a device that can be worn alongside its smartwatches and smartphones and has artificial intelligence to provide a comprehensive picture of a person's health. This move could boost sales of the company's other products.
“This will be the star of the show, all eyes will be on this new device and this new category from Samsung,” Paolo Pescatore, founder of PP Foresight, told CNBC.
Pescatore said the ring was a “product that could help boost smartphone sales and migrate users to its platform.”
Main features and price of the Galaxy Ring
According to Samsung, the Galaxy Ring can monitor the following things:
- Sleep: The device can monitor a person's movements during sleep, time to fall asleep, heart and breathing rate, and provide an analysis of sleep quality.
- Menstrual cycle: Samsung says it uses skin temperature to track a person's menstrual cycle.
- Pulse: The Galaxy Ring can inform users when their heart rate is unusually high or low. Users can also check their heart rate in real time.
- Exercise: The Galaxy Ring can detect the type of exercise or activity a person is doing.
The Galaxy Ring weighs between 2.3 and 3 grams depending on the size. The device is available in three colors.
According to Samsung, the Galaxy Ring's battery lasts up to seven days. Like the wireless Air Buds, there's a portable charging case.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring will be available starting July 24 and will start at $399.99.
Play Samsung ecosystem
On Wednesday, Samsung also unveiled its latest smartwatches – the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. It is the first time the company has released an “Ultra” model of its smartwatch, a device designed for athletes and those who enjoy activities such as hiking and mountain climbing.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (left) and Galaxy Watch7 (right) are the latest smartwatches from the South Korean giant. It is the first time that Samsung has released an “Ultra” version of its wearable.
Arjun KharpalCNBC
The watches feature 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 the ring, Samsung is trying to bind users more closely to its product ecosystem.
For example, when the smartwatch is connected to the phone, users can answer calls or take a photo with a “double pinch” action of their fingers.
When the Galaxy Ring, smartwatch and phone are paired together, Samsung says users get a more detailed picture of their health, especially when sleeping, because the devices pull data from more sources. Samsung said the ring's battery life is extended when worn together with the smartwatch.
“In fact, the watch and ring are part of a growing ecosystem that is becoming increasingly important as AI technology relies on data collected from different devices. The more devices a user has from the same brand, the more comprehensive the data collected, increasing the effectiveness of digital AI assistants,” Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of device research for Europe, Middle East and Africa at IDC, told CNBC via email.
“This truly personalized experience will encourage users to choose devices from one brand over another.”
Like Apple, Samsung has also pushed ahead with the networking of its devices in recent years in order to promote user loyalty.
“It's no great surprise that Samsung is increasingly linking its products to an 'ecosystem story.' Apple has shown that fostering interdependence between products is an extremely effective way to keep consumers loyal to a particular brand,” Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC.
Ring is a niche product
Although the Galaxy Ring is unlikely to be a best-seller for Samsung, it does underscore that the technology company wants to expand its target audience.
“The Galaxy Ring is an interesting bet by Samsung,” Wood said, adding that the product category is a “niche segment” and that around 4 million rings are expected to be shipped in 2025. This is a “rounding error” when compared to the 250 million smartphones expected to be sold next year.
“However, it is a device category that fits well with growing consumer interest in health data monitoring and complements Samsung's current smartwatch sales, particularly in sleep monitoring.”
While smartwatches are large devices, a smart ring is less intrusive and can be worn much more comfortably at night.
Samsung is not the only company selling such devices. Oura, one of the market pioneers, has sold 2.5 million units of its products in the last nine years, according to CCS Insight. Since Samsung announced the ring earlier this year, other players in the market have also become interested. CNBC reported in February that Chinese electronics giant Honor is developing its own smart ring.
Wood said Samsung will be able to establish itself in a larger market for smart rings than other competitors.
“Samsung is likely to be the market maker due to its global reach and significant marketing budget, raising awareness of a new product category that most consumers have not even heard of,” said Wood.
The Galaxy Ring could open up new revenue streams for Samsung in the software space. Users can access 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.
“This category may not be a major revenue generator for Samsung, but it helps expand the wearable portfolio and opens the door for new services in the future if the company decides to do so,” said IDC's Jeronimo.
