With July 10th slated for this summer’s Galaxy Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is almost here. And as anticipation for the first smart ring from a big tech firm grows, it’s important to consider what Samsung has to accomplish right in order to establish itself as a competitive participant in the market.
With five days of battery life, wireless charging, 100 meters of water resistance, complete sleep, workout recovery, and women’s health tracking, the Oura Ring—now in its third generation—is the smart ring to beat in 2024. The Oura Ring fits pretty nicely and is available in a variety of shapes and sizes.
How can Samsung Galaxy Ring beat Oura Ring
As a result of our close observation of all the leaks and speculations surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Ring thus far, we have a thorough comparison between the Oura Ring and the Galaxy Ring. Samsung appears to be a serious contender, but the Galaxy Ring needs to do these five things flawlessly in order to surpass Oura.
NO SUBSCRIPTION FEES
The $5.99 monthly recurring subscription fee is the aspect of the Oura Ring that elicits the most criticism rather than any actual function.
Although the ring is free for the first six months, you will still have to pay an extra $150 to $200 in fees throughout the course of the $299 gadget. I inquired with Tome Hale, CEO of Oura, on the potential for future cost elimination. Don’t get your hopes up, he said.
Samsung should introduce the Galaxy Ring as a one-time deal in order to defeat Oura. For buyers on a tight budget, the Galaxy Ring would be an easy choice if it were priced similarly to the Oura Ring Gen 3, which starts at $299 for the Heritage model and $349 for the more stylish Horizon model, without requiring a subscription.
BETTER BATTERY LIFE
Although the Oura Ring Gen 3’s battery life is advertised as lasting up to a week, it really only lasts for around five days. Although this is quite remarkable and surpasses the battery life of most top-rated fitness trackers, I would want to see the Galaxy Ring offer ten or more days of battery life.
This would reduce the number of times customers need to charge the gadget from six or more times per month to about three times. You are more inclined to wear a device if it requires less charging time. The insights get more valuable as you wear it more.
For the Galaxy Ring to be compatible with the Oura Ring Gen 3, it must also be able to charge wirelessly and quickly—ideally in less than two hours.
NFC FOR CONTACTLESS PAYMENT
The Oura Ring Gen 3 lacks the ability to pay for groceries or coffee, but it appears like the Oura Ring 4 will have these features. This gives Samsung even more motivation to release its first smart ring with an NFC chip and integrated Samsung Pay compatibility.
It’s true that paying for a round of drinks using your smartphone is a really tidy method. You know what’s cooler, though? Knocking on your ring once and turning to go.
GESTURE-BASED MEDIA CONTROL
The Oura Ring Gen 3 lacks many smart features, while being an excellent all-around gadget and the greatest fitness tracker for sleep. Furthermore, there are no Oura wrist-based devices available for pairing.
However, Samsung has a whole ecosystem of Galaxy goods, and I have a strong suspicion that some of these gadgets will be touch- or gesture-controlled when the Galaxy Ring launches.
Consider, for example, sliding your finger up to fast-forward a TV show or lightly tapping your thumb against the exterior of the ring to accept or reject an incoming call. In addition, I anticipate that the Galaxy Ring will help find misplaced Samsung smartphones and vice versa.
CROSS-PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY
Put this one under “don’t get your hopes up,” but it’s still important to bring up. Although I suspect the Galaxy Ring and the Samsung Health app would work well with Apple products, Samsung would have the best chance of defeating Oura if they could guarantee maximum cross-platform compatibility.
After all, users of iOS and Android can download the Oura app. A significant reduction in the possible consumer base for the Galaxy Ring occurs if the Samsung Health software is only available through the Google Play Store.
HOW SAMSUNG BEATS OURA
I hope the Samsung Galaxy Ring has other functions as well. Sophisticated health monitoring and sleep tracking are essential, as is a robust and portable design. The menstrual health information that the Samsung Galaxy Ring offers must likewise be as accurate and perceptive as those of the Oura Ring Gen 3.