Samsung Beats Apple to Making a Smart Ring, With Flaws: Review

Samsung Electronics Co.’s consumer business has two priorities heading into 2025. One is adding more artificial intelligence, and the other is developing a product ecosystem to rival that of Apple Inc., with compelling devices beyond its bestselling smartphones. The new Galaxy Ring, an entry into a nascent category of smaller, less obtrusive health trackers, fits neatly into that.

The $399 device, which uses LED lights to peer under the skin, was teased in January and released over the summer. It offers an intriguing mix of features popularized by smartwatches and earbuds: It can track heart rate, sleep and steps, like a watch, and it can last as long as a week, like buds, with a case that doubles as a spare battery. Samsung argues that the Galaxy Watch and Ring are complementary, however they duplicate many features and most consumers are likely to choose one or the other.