The first few hours with the Galaxy Ring are unremarkable. And that’s the point. It is one of the few devices I’ve tested that’s designed to do its job without demanding any attention. For the first day or two, I kept checking my phone to see if it was actually doing anything. It was. Just not for me. Not yet.
Samsung’s finger-worn foray into wearables takes its time to get going. It spends the first three nights calibrating itself before unlocking the kind of sleep insights that are usually plastered across your phone screen within hours of syncing a smartwatch. At first, it feels like it’s holding back. But once it decides you’re worth analysing, the Ring goes full diagnostics mode: heart rate, skin temperature trends, recovery scores, and step tracking, delivered with clinical precision. Not to mention going all judgy on you.
The Galaxy Ring is compatible with any Android device running version 11 or higher. You don’t need to own a Galaxy handset, but you do need to install both the Samsung Health and Galaxy Wearable apps to make sense of the data it gathers. However, the experience is more cohesive if you’re already embedded in the Samsung ecosystem. Using it in tandem with a Galaxy S24, it was detected instantly by the phone, and synced seamlessly.
The hardware is a lesson in restraint. There are no buttons, no notifications, and it doesn’t flash or buzz. The review unit came in a matte titanium finish, weighed in at just under 3 grams, and after a day or two, felt like a natural part of my hand. It also survived a week of typing, walking, light workouts, and sleep, There was no discomfort or discolouration, and no sign that it was recording biometric data from beneath the skin. The only time it felt in the way was when I forgot to take it off before getting into the shower.
Getting the right fit was a mission in itself. My experience required an in-person visit to a Samsung store, where I tried on a range of demo rings in sterile lighting until I found the right size. Not exactly frictionless, but arguably better than trusting your future sleep analytics to a plastic ring and guesswork.
Once on the finger and charged up, the Galaxy Ring settles in for the long haul. You wear it, and it observes. Then, after three nights of calibration, it begins to stream insights through the Samsung Health app. The sleep tracking is among the most accurate I’ve experienced outside of a medical setting. It picks up restlessness, pinpoints REM phases, and offers a sleep score that doesn’t merely reflect how long you were unconscious, but how well your body actually rested.
But that’s only part of the picture. Each morning, you’re also presented with an “Energy Score”, which combines sleep quality, heart rate variability, and temperature deviations to assess how ready you are to take on the day. On one morning, it suggested I take it easy due to elevated temperature and reduced recovery. On most days, it went full judgy and ordered me “Boost Your Activity” in capital initials as if it was AI generated text. Oh, wait…
It was fairly polite, though, in its recommendations: “Consider aiming for today’s target of …”
At times if went inspirational keynote speaker on me, urging me to “Keep moving and stay motivated.”
The next level up, Sleep coaching, needs a full week of sleep recording before it tells you what kind of sleeper you are. On the other hand, you get instant confirmation of whether you snored last night. Even with this documented evidence, however, don’t expect you partner to believe you.
A drawback for me is that there’s no real-time feedback but, for many, that’s the whole point. It’s not meant to replace a smartwatch, but to fill in when it is not practical or comfortable to wear the watch. If you’re used to swiping and tapping your wrist mid-run, the Ring’s lack of interaction may feel like a downgrade.
And not everything feels refined. Charging the Ring requires placing it in a case the size of a large coin, which itself needs to be charged via USB-C. Instead of wireless charging or magnet-to-phone magic, it comes with yet another cable in a drawer full of them. The case holds extra juice for topping up, but the whole setup feels like a placeholder for something sleeker in version two.
Battery life is decent — I got around six days on the first charge — and syncing worked reliably, with the Ring connecting to the phone each morning to upload the previous day’s stats. Activity tracking was hit and miss, not quite keeping pace with my Huawei Watch GT4 on steps, and lacking in feedback during a workout. You have to wait until you’re done to see how many steps, stairs or stretches were counted. Or not. Coincidentally, I started wearing the Ring when I was having a muscular issues that required a battery of stretching exercises. The Ring was unable to pick up any activity at all. But watch this space for a long-term review.
The bigger picture makes the Galaxy Ring feel significant. It is not trying to be a phone replacement, or a watch substitute. It is a dedicated health tracker that happens to look like a piece of minimal jewellery. For anyone who’s tired of being poked or buzzed by their wearable, it’s a compelling alternative, as long as you’re happy to engage with it entirely through the app.
Key specs
Design and build
- Material: Titanium Grade 5 with scratch-resistant coating
- Finish Options: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, Titanium Gold
- Weight: Varies by size (2.3g to 3.0g)
- Sizes: US Ring sizes 5 to 13
- Water Resistance: 10 ATM (up to 100m)
- Durability: IP68 rated
Sensors
- Heart Rate Sensor (PPG)
- Skin Temperature Sensor
- Accelerometer
- Infrared (IR) for heart rate and sleep tracking
How much does it cost?
The Galaxy Ring is available from the Samsung South Africa store for R7,999 and at Takealot for R7,499.
Why should you care?
The Galaxy Ring shifts the conversation about wearables away from screens and distractions, and towards long-term health insights gathered discreetly without demanding constant interaction. It’s late to the smart ring party, but the Galaxy ecosystem gives it a better shot at ruling the market than most of the devices from independent ring brands.
What are the biggest negatives?
- Requires in-person sizing or a sizing kit before purchase, which adds friction.
- Sleep tracking only starts after a three-day calibration period.
- Charging case feels clunky and outdated compared to other Samsung gear.
What are the biggest positives?
- Extremely accurate sleep and recovery tracking after calibration.
- Comfortable and unobtrusive enough to wear 24/7 without noticing.
- Avoids notification overload by focusing purely on health insights.
* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-Chief of Gadget.co.za and author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI.