Samsung Ring test: take a photo with the flick of a finger

Lorenz Keller

27.2.2025

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is a newcomer among smart rings – and quite expensive in comparison. But how does it perform across the average day?

Samsung is both a pioneer and a latecomer. The South Korean tech giant is the first major manufacturer to launch a smart ring. At the same time, the market is already established with plenty competition from smaller brands. Just read our reviews on Oura, Ultrahuman or RingConn.

It appears the Galaxy Ring won’t be facing Google and Apple in our test, but start-ups – some of which have been developing finger trackers for years.

Stylish case, weak battery

During my unboxing, Samsung shows how it’s done: the Galaxy Ring case is a real eye-catcher, standing out from the competition. To me, it’s an interesting mix of make-up and jewellery box. An LED ring shows the charging progress and battery capacity of the ring – well thought-out and modern.

But the elegant exterior hides a huge negative: the case’s battery is just too small. It can’t even manage to fully charge the Ring twice. In my test, for example, I charged the Galaxy Ring from 6 to 100 per cent – that took 40 minutes. After that, the case was already at 49 per cent capacity. Draining the rest only allowed me to charge the Ring from 5 to 82 per cent again.

Nevertheless, the Ring itself has an acceptable battery life. During my test, the size 12 ring lasted seven to eight days.

iPhone’s a no-go, but at least all Android devices work

Apple, stay out! The Galaxy Ring is compatible with Android devices, not just Samsung ones. Note, only Samsung phones provide the full range of features.

To connect the ring to my Google Pixel 9 Pro, I had to download two apps: Galaxy Wear for the connection and Samsung Health to analyse the data. Requiring two programs is an unnecessary faff – especially since important information such as the battery status is only displayed in the connection app, not in the tracking app you use every day.

Evaluating tracking data done easy

Still, Samsung Health is a straightforward and clear app. All important information can be seen at a glance, and the app can be customised to suit your own needs. Values such as blood sugar or pressure, which the ring doesn’t measure, can simply be hidden.

The ring itself tracks your activity, sleep, pulse and blood oxygen. It uses this data to continuously calculate a stress level and an energy score. The latter is the vital statistic for your well-being, measuring your balance between relaxation and activity.

This data is presented very well: basic values such as the sleep score (between 1 and 100) are directly visible on the start page, supplemented by a brief assessment. Tap to open a detailed analysis containing a precise breakdown of your sleep phases such as deep sleep, light sleep, REM and time awake. In addition, there are comparative values using previous measurements and your own age group.

On a positive note, the app only sends a few notifications, say if you haven’t moved enough by the evening. The active coaching is useful too: to encourage better sleep, the app analyses your habits for a week, then provides personalised tips – including recording your snoring.

The ring recognises gestures

For part two of my detailed test, I connected the Ring to a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Here again, different apps are required for connection and tracking. However, this is less noticeable since they already come pre-installed.

On a good note, there seem to be no noticeable differences between them. The tracking and analysis seem to work just as well, regardless of whether I’m using a Samsung Galaxy or another Android device. Unfortunately, this isn’t clearly explained in the documentation.

This also applies to new functions that Samsung has announced for a first update, namely the evaluation of your sleeping environment. Additional sensors connected via the SmartThings app are used for this. AI assisted sleep analysis suggests optimal sleeping and waking times, also giving advice so I’ll wake up more refreshed in the morning. A mindfulness tracker also tracks your mood, breathing and stress levels.

The gesture controls of the Galaxy Ring are a real highlight, but only available for Samsung devices – they worked pretty reliably in my test. Quickly touch the finger wearing the Ring and your thumb together, and you’ll trigger the camera or mute an alarm. This is particularly useful if you don’t want to wake anyone up at night or want to take a quick selfie.

There's an additional benefit for Galaxy Watch users. Data from the trackers off both gadgets are combined, but neither device measures all the time. According to the manufacturer, this should save around 30 per cent battery power. When asked, Samsung also states that certain calculations are better when Galaxy AI is available – only on Samsung devices. One example of this is the Energy Score, which calculates performance based on sleep and activity data.

How accurate is the Samsung Ring?

It isn’t easy to assess the accuracy of the Galaxy Ring in everyday use. I’ve worn the Galaxy Ring several times alongside a competitor’s product or my smartwatch. The results are always similar and hardly differ from one another. Here’s an example of how the Ring and watch compare when tracking sleep:

When it comes to sleep tracking, for example, both devices start almost simultaneously, and the ratings are also largely the same. The biggest difference: the Ring didn’t count getting up for around 30 minutes as a waking phase in bed, whereas the smartwatch did. There are legitimate arguments for measuring either – depending on the focus of your tracking.

I was able to test the pedometer with particular accuracy: using a mechanical clicker, I first counted 1000 steps manually and compared that result with 1000 more steps while wearing two smart rings and a smartwatch.

I’m happy that all three trackers recorded the 2000 steps fairly accurately – and none of them counted too many steps. The Galaxy Ring counted 1992 steps, a deviation of only eight steps. The RingConn Gen 2 was even closer, missing only four steps, while the Pixel Watch 3 was the furthest off with 1968 steps. I didn’t miscount the mechanical clicks, of course.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Ring offers reliable tracking data that’s also convincing in comparison to the competition and doesn’t record more activity than actually happens.

The big price comparison

At around 430 francs, the Galaxy Ring is no bargain – it’s one of the most expensive smart rings on the market. Even the fourth generation of ring pioneer Oura is cheaper at just under 400 francs – at least the standard version.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air is even cheaper – same for the RingConn Gen 2, which cost around 350 francs each.

All models offer similar features and have the advantage of being compatible with all Android and iOS devices. Samsung, on the other hand, scores with gesture controls, an above-average app and the most beautiful case to date.

In a nutshell

A solid release in a highly competitive market

The Samsung Galaxy Ring impressed with its design and functionality in my test. The case is the most elegant you’ll find for a smart ring. The app is also clearly laid out, and the gesture controls offer exciting new options, such as switching off an alarm or taking quick pics.

Samsung missed an opportunity with the battery capacity, though: the case doesn’t even manage two full charges for the Ring. Pretty disappointing. The Ring is also one of the priciest on the market – without offering any clear added value compared to the established competition.

Still, Samsung is proving with early updates that it wants to gradually make the Ring more attractive with further evaluation options and calculations.

Pro

• Stylish case
• App laid out well
• Accurate tracking
• No subscription, for now
• Gesture controls

Contra

• Can only be used with Android phones
• Full range of functions only for Samsung customers
• Pretty pricey

New

Smart rings

EUR719,–

Samsung Galaxy Ring

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Lorenz Keller

Senior Editor

Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.ch

Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.

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