Will we soon be wearing a smart ring that monitors our health and lifestyle? Tech companies think so. Now that health trackers like smartwatches and pedometers have become commonplace, these companies have discovered another place on our bodies where no tech products yet exist: around the finger.
One of the major players that will focus on a smart ring appears to be Samsung. Last Wednesday, on the occasion of the presentation of his latest smartphones, he finally had a surprise in store. As a bonus, it showed images of the so-called “Galaxy Ring”.
Video appeared on the screen of a shiny black ring floating in space, packed with sensors. Matthew Wiggins, director of Samsung’s digital health research group, gave the video a somewhat pompous introduction: “We have developed a powerful and accessible health and wellness device that will change the future of health.”
Not much is known about the Galaxy Ring yet. A launch date has not been announced. “Soon” is the most concrete thing a spokesperson wanted to say about it to the American tech media. Nothing is known about the price either. All that was said is that the jewel “has the best sensor technology and the convenience of wearing it 24/7”.
It’s not a new concept
Smart rings have been around for a while, but until now they’ve been a niche product. The best-known name on that market is Finnish Oura, which launched the first version of the Oura Ring in 2015. At the time it was still a sturdy, thick copy. The brand is now in its third version and the ring has become much thinner, making it look much more like a normal ring. The images shown by Samsung of its Galaxy Rings make it clear that their design is very similar to that of Oura.
According to supporters of smart rings, they have numerous advantages over classic health trackers such as smartwatches and pedometers. This means the battery lasts longer, up to a week, allowing users to wear them longer and measure more data. This makes them very suitable for monitoring sleep or measuring movements during the day. Even the skin under the finger would be better suited for measuring heart rate than on the wrist, with a smartwatch. Furthermore, a ring isn’t very noticeable: you almost forget you’re wearing it, so you wear it more often.
From niche to mainstream
According to Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, Samsung’s announcement shows that the product category has a future. “New players entering the market are validating the category’s raison d’être,” Hale said. He believes Oura will be able to compete, in part because it has so many patents. “We have 100 issued patents, 270 patents pending and over 130 registered trademarks.”
Such patents can certainly provide protection. For example, Apple has long been unable to sell the Apple Watch 9 or Apple Watch Ultra in the United States due to a patent dispute with the Masimo company.
However, there are ways Samsung can compete. Starting with the cost price: with a minimum price of 329 euros, Oura rings are quite expensive. Furthermore, to use all the features you need a subscription of 6 euros per month. If Samsung can market its Galaxy Ring at a lower price and without a mandatory paid subscription, it will have negotiated a significant advantage. Additionally, it can integrate the Galaxy Ring into the ecosystem, allowing it to work seamlessly with Samsung Galaxy phones and the Samsung Galaxy Watch smartwatch.
Besides Oura, there are several other companies active with smart rings, such as Circular, Motiv, and Evie. There have been rumors for years that Apple is also working on a smart ring. In 2019 he applied for a patent. A year earlier, Microsoft had also done the same. Samsung’s entry already gives more weight to the niche.
But not all attempts are successful. In 2019, Amazon launched the “Echo loop,” a smart ring that put Amazon’s Alexa assistant at your fingertips. The reviews were far from positive and a year later the project was canceled again.
2024-01-20 11:54:10
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