Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on July 10 in Paris is simply days away. We may see Samsung launching the Galaxy Ring, and I could not be extra excited.
See, I do not like smartwatches and by no means thought-about attempting a wise ring till Jan. 17, when an surprising announcement from Samsung had a shocking impact on me. I used to be sitting within the SAP Middle in San Jose, California, for the January Galaxy Unpacked event, throughout which the corporate unveiled the Galaxy S24 series. The keynote occasion went as anticipated till the top, when Samsung teased the Galaxy Ring. In a really un-Patrick second, I assumed, “I need this and I do not know why.”
How may I not be curious after seeing this?
Samsung’s reveal of the Galaxy Ring at its Unpacked occasion.
The Galaxy Ring is full of sensors and it information well being knowledge together with your coronary heart price, motion and sleep. It does not have a display screen and it appears to be like pretty discreet. After some introspection, I noticed it may very well be the sensible gadget I have been in search of.
I’ve all the time had a bizarre factor about carrying jewellery, like watches and rings. I spent plenty of years working as a carpenter constructing units for operas, shows for museums and even a zoo enclosure for monarch butterflies. There’s nothing as great as having butterflies land on you when you’re attempting to repair a leaky Aztec-inspired fiberglass waterfall and pool.
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I’ve by no means been a hoop individual, however I loved carrying watches till I scuffed one up whereas sanding a flat (a part of a faux wall used on theater, movie and TV units). The expertise was sufficient to make me cautious of carrying watches. Then there’s smartwatches, which add a complete different degree of complexity that I simply do not want, and so they simply do not look pretty much as good or putting as a daily wristwatch.
The Galaxy Ring is not the primary sensible ring; there are additionally rings from Oura, Ultrahuman, Evie and others. However with its minimalist, distraction-free design, it may very well be the best complement to my cellphone, and I think about that is the case for a lot of people. If Samsung desires the Galaxy Ring to be successful past simply early adopters, it must maintain the whole lot in regards to the ring easy sufficient to court docket smartwatch haters like me. And if the corporate does not, Samsung dangers the Galaxy Ring changing into simply one other minor accent that is relegated to individuals who already personal Samsung merchandise.
My downside with smartwatches
I’ll by no means be this blissful individual carrying a smartwatch.
I can see the enchantment in monitoring my steps or capturing a exercise. However I do not like the concept of carrying the identical band or smartwatch each day to get these advantages. I like the concept of a discrete tracker that does not make me really feel like I am continually related to my cellphone on a regular basis.
Smartwatches just like the Apple Watch are principally mini variations of our telephones and require extra of my consideration than my Seiko automatic wristwatch. And whereas I nonetheless assume Dick Tracy’s watch is a loopy cool film and comedian gadget fantasy, he did not must take care of Slack notifications, app updates, discovering time to cost it or having or not it’s out of sync together with his cellphone.
I am not the one individual on a quest for simplifying how electronics present up in my life. Function telephones, older “easier” smartphones and digital point-and-shoot cameras from a decade in the past are seeing a resurgence as individuals purpose to reduce the distinguished function that telephones occupy of their lives. And whereas the Galaxy Ring is not a retro product, it’d provide an analogous enchantment.
CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco related the dots for me in her story about how smart rings are like fitness bands once they first got here out, albeit far more refined and correct.
What Samsung must get proper
The Galaxy Ring has sensors on the within to measure well being metrics like your coronary heart price.
One motive I’m intrigued by the Galaxy Ring is as a result of it is from Samsung, an organization with a protracted historical past of creating private electronics like smartphones and smartwatches. I do not imply to throw any shade on an organization like Oura, however I really feel extra snug dropping cash on a brand new product from a longtime firm than one I do know primarily from Kim Kardashian.
And whereas years of testing Samsung phones has instilled me with some religion within the firm, that does not imply it will probably do no fallacious, particularly contemplating Samsung does not have the very best observe document with first era merchandise (Keep in mind the Galaxy Gear, anybody?) So, to assist the 55-year-old electronics firm keep away from such dissuasions, right here are some things that the Galaxy Ring must nail to woo smartwatch haters like me.
The Galaxy Ring’s value ought to be ridiculously interesting. Between $200 and $250 is the candy spot, however the nearer Samsung can get the worth to $200 (or much less), the higher. I additionally hope Samsung does not add a further subscription price. I need to purchase this ring as soon as, not be paying for it each month just like the Oura Ring which has a $6 month-to-month subscription price, on prime of $300 or $400 for the precise ring.
Subsequent, Samsung must make the Galaxy Ring suitable with Android and iOS phones. To cite the Mandalorian, “That is the way in which.” Protecting the ring unique to Samsung, and even simply to Android telephones, will deter individuals from shopping for it. Samsung is extra more likely to have an iPhone consumer fall in love with the Galaxy Ring and need to purchase a Galaxy cellphone (consider Apple’s iPhone halo technique) than it’s to persuade an Apple trustworthy to purchase each a hoop and a cellphone on the similar time. The ring may very well be a hook for drawing iPhone loyalists into Samsung’s, nicely, galaxy.
The very last thing Samsung must get proper is battery life. I do not need to fear about charging yet one more gadget every day — in any other case I might be extra inclined to get a smartwatch or health band. If the Galaxy Ring’s battery life is nearer to per week on a single cost, just like the Oura Ring, Samsung could have received me over.
Will all (or any) of my hopes for the Galaxy Ring come true? Or will the Galaxy Ring simply be one other wearable I will find yourself avoiding as a result of it falls brief on its simplicity and worth? We’ll have to attend for Samsung to launch it to search out out.
