Why the Samsung Galaxy Ring, 2024’s biggest (and smallest) wearable device, is the health and fitness device of the year

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Someone had to buckle up first. While tech companies around the world are creating the best smartwatches with constant improvements in performance with each generation, no one is taking much risk from an aesthetic point of view. Annually best Apple WatchThe Pixel Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, etc. look the same as the previous ones, and while the improvements in performance are significant, wearable fans are clamoring for a radical change in design direction.

Enter Samsung Galaxy Ringwhich managed to take Samsung’s existing health technology infrastructure, both hardware and software, and miniaturize it to fit into an entirely new form factor. Still, best smart rings have been the domain of startups like Oura and Ultrahuman, with the biggest offering being the Oura Ring. But Samsung was the first major tech company to take a risk and release a smart ring, winning our TechRadar Choice 2024 Award gong in the Health and Fitness Product of the Year category.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch line has already given Samsung a stellar start in sleep tracking, activity monitoring, and sensors to monitor heart rate, skin temperature, blood oxygen levels, and more. Sleep algorithms and profiles (or “chronotypes” to use the scientific term) provide practical advice to help improve your sleep, and while it may be trivial, everyday advice can be found anywhere (try setting a bedtime and sticking to it, try screens before bed, yes, yes, yes) chronotypes allow you to truly understand your habits personally.

Combined with Samsung’s automatic activity tracking, which automatically logs you when you go for a walk or run, the Galaxy Watch’s infrastructure is ideal for smaller wearables: all Samsung had to do was squeeze it into a ring and make sure that The ring can sync with your existing Samsung Health app via Bluetooth.

Without a screen, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is a passive tracker that can be set and forgotten, like all smart rings so far, so it doesn’t require much work from the battery in terms of power output or interaction: just enough to support the sensors. and the Bluetooth connection is working. Without much power output from the relatively small 18-23.5mAh battery, the ring can last a week, which is ideal for sleep tracking.

The end result was a stunning success by all measures. I really enjoyed wearing it and gave it 4.5 stars in my Samsung Galaxy Ring review. I said, “Samsung’s first-generation Galaxy Ring is the wearable device you can buy this year if you can handle the high price.” However, even that comment is outdated: it also doesn’t require a subscription, unlike Oura, so even though it’s a premium product (costing $400/£400/AU$699 for such a tiny device), it is a winner in terms of value. vision.

It’s ideal for health data enthusiasts, athletes interested in recovery, and Android users who want a top-notch activity tracker. It was also a hit and we have no doubt that Galaxy Ring 2 is already in development. This is a landmark moment in wearable technology history and our 2024 Health & Fitness Product of the Year.