After a decade of regularly wearing smartwatches, I dared to trade in my $429 Apple Watch Series 9 for Samsung’s brand new $399 Galaxy Ring. This smart ring, which is worn on your finger, measures activity, sleep, and other health metrics. My experience has helped me understand who smart rings are really for, their advantages over smartwatches, and their limitations.
The bet of a bold transition
While I’m already familiar with smart rings thanks to my Oura Ring, I’ve never relied solely on this type of device to track my health, fitness, and sleep. This experience taught me a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of both types of wearables. Smart rings like the Galaxy Ring excel at being discreet, comfortable, and with impressive battery life, while smartwatches like the Apple Watch excel as more comprehensive workout companions.
The undeniable advantages of the Galaxy Ring
The Galaxy Ring (like the Oura Ring) has three major advantages over the Apple Watch and other smartwatches:
- Exceptional autonomy : Where the Apple Watch lasts between one and two days depending on usage, the Galaxy Ring gave me nearly six days of continuous use. This longevity eliminates the anxiety of frequent charging.
- Less distractions :Without a screen or notifications, the Galaxy Ring freed me from the constant temptation to check my wrist for every bit of information.
- Unparalleled comfort : With a weight ranging from 2.3 to 3 grams depending on the size, the Galaxy Ring is barely noticeable compared to the 31.9 grams (minimum) of the Apple Watch Series 9. This comfort is particularly appreciable for sleep tracking.
More advanced sleep tracking
The Galaxy Ring stands out for its more in-depth approach to sleep tracking:
- And Sleep Score assesses the quality of your night’s rest by taking into account various factors.
- And Energy Score analyzes your previous day’s activity and sleep metrics to advise you on your optimal activity level for the day.
- Of the personalized advice highlight the impact of your changing habits on the quality of your sleep.
- And sleep coaching playful assigns you a mascot animal reflecting your sleeping habits.
The undeniable advantages of the Apple Watch
Despite the qualities of the Galaxy Ring, the Apple Watch retains several major assets:
- A better training companion : The Apple Watch screen allows you to track your performance in real time, an undeniable advantage during exercise.
- More precise measurements : I noticed significant deviations in the Galaxy Ring’s heart rate measurements compared to a reference chest heart rate monitor, especially during exercise bike sessions.
- More extensive “smart” features : Apple Watch offers a much wider range of connected functions, from controlling music to answering calls.
The Untapped Potential of the Galaxy Ring
Although limited by the lack of a screen, the Galaxy Ring offers interesting possibilities:
- The gesture control allows you to trigger the camera or stop an alarm with a double tap of your fingers.
- Samsung could expand these features to fill some gaps compared to smartwatches (multimedia control, call management, etc.).
Who is the Galaxy Ring really for?
The Galaxy Ring is ideal for people:
- Mainly interested in tracking sleep and daily activity.
- Little concern for real-time monitoring of sports performance.
- Preferring a discreet and comfortable device to a watch.
- Wanting to limit distractions from notifications.
Two complementary approaches
After this experience, I don’t think a smart ring can completely replace my smartwatch. However, this immersion in the world of the Galaxy Ring has shown me that these two types of devices have a lot to learn from each other.
The Galaxy Ring excels at discreet and comfortable everyday health tracking, while the Apple Watch remains unmatched for fitness tracking and connected features. The future may well see hybrid devices that combine the best of both worlds, providing an even more complete experience for wellness-conscious users.
Ultimately, the choice between a smart ring like the Galaxy Ring and a smartwatch like the Apple Watch will come down to individual priorities when it comes to health tracking, comfort, and connected features.
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