Samsung Galaxy Ring Review – Sleek and Stylish RM2,099 Smart Wearable Tested

We previously had a hands-on preview of the new Samsung Galaxy Ring ahead of its official Malaysia launch and managed to get our hands on a sample for field testing. After putting it through its paces, here’s our Samsung Galaxy Ring review – does Samsung’s first-ever smart ring live up to the hype to be the one (smart) ring to rule them all?

Samsung Galaxy Ring review – Design and Build

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is a smart wearable made of durable Grade 5 titanium, offering IP68 dust and water resistance as well as offering a 10ATM rating for water immersion protection. The inner portion of the band is studded with sensors that include an accelerometer, a skin temperature sensor and an optical bio-signal sensor that, combined, offer a battery of activity, health and sleep tracking capabilities. 

Visually, the ring resembles a plain metal band in your choice of black, silver or in the case of my Samsung Galaxy Ring review sample, a somewhat bold shade of gold. The outer portion of the band has a subtle concave indentation across it and has a notch at the base which lets you know the right way to wear it with the notch side pointing downwards where most of the sensors are clustered. 

Notably, the Galaxy Ring lacks a display, haptics, any built-in interface or an on-off switch. You wear it and you’re off to the races. To view your health data, get updates or tweak any settings, it must be paired with the Samsung Health and Galaxy Wearable apps on an Android phone running Android 11 or later which also includes most of Samsung’s more recent phones. Unfortunately, iPhone compatibility is not supported.

Contrary to its appearance as a proper looking ring, the ring can’t be modified, engraved or embellished with additional precious stones as it’s studded with sensitive electronics. As much as you’d like to do so, you can’t modify it to resemble the One Ring from the Lord of the Rings series. While the official literature suggests that it works best on the index or third finger, an official FAQ from Samsung indicates that it will work with any of your fingers.

Samsung Galaxy Ring review – Features and Performance

In terms of functionality, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is a comprehensive activity, fitness and sleep tracker that can automatically detect walking or running workouts, measure and track your heart rate on a per hour basis, track your menstrual cycles, measure your stress level and also track your sleep quality or lack thereof. The ring can also alert you via your phone if you have an abnormally high or low heartbeat as well as snore detection. 

A standout feature of the Galaxy Ring is the ability to show your Energy Score for the day, which relies on AI and measures your current physical condition, sleep quality and wellness to generate a score to let you know offhand if you ought to take it easy or take things up to 11. The Energy Score rating is only available if paired with Samsung phones. Several other features are also unique to Samsung phones – pinch gesture controls to cancel alerts and use the camera as well as their Find My Ring feature if you misplace the Galaxy Ring.

Charging it is via a transparent charging case sized specifically to fit the exact size of the ring purchased. A larger or smaller Galaxy Ring that is not the exact size simply will not fit. On paper, the ring has a week’s worth of battery life before it needs a recharge with the charging case featuring a 361mAh cell that allows you to recharge the ring at least 1.5  times before you need to juice it again. As a nod to seamless design, the charging case has a tiny button in the top that gives you an idea of how much charge it has left via a circular indicator light.

After getting it out of its charging case and plonking it on my index finger, my Samsung Galaxy Ring review sample was then paired up with my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy Ring needs to be paired with an Android phone running Android 11.0 or higher and the Samsung Health app as well as the Galaxy Wearable app for you to be able to capture and read its insights though you need a Samsung phone to fully unlock its capabilities and all its features.

When put to the test, my Samsung Galaxy Ring review sample proved to be exceptionally comfortable to wear on my index finger. After a week and a half of regular use being worn daily and even overnight in bed, there was no discomfort whatsoever and I frequently forgot I even had it on. That is, until I hear a clinking sound when the ring contacts something like my coffee cup or keyboard. 

Fortunately, my Samsung Galaxy Ring review sample held up to daily use and the titanium body has managed to remain scratch and nick free as well as tarnish free even after extensive use in day to day house chores, getting banged on countless cups of coffee, metal guard rails on the LRT and cutlery as well as encountering soap and the occasional glob of detergent or dishwashing liquid.

Samsung Galaxy Ring review – Tracking Accuracy and Insights

In terms of accuracy, my Galaxy Ring review sample offered excellent sleep tracking as well as heart rate monitoring with useful insights for the latter that was able to detect my admittedly irregular sleep patterns. When it comes to walking and running tracking, it does the job but it isn’t the most accurate on account of the fact that it lacks a GPS but the comfort and size of the ring more than make up for missing a few steps here and there. 

When compared to historical data from prior reviews, my Galaxy Ring review sample was on the ball bar minor deviations which aren’t a big deal though more ardent fitness enthusiasts may want to gravitate towards something like the Galaxy Watch Ultra for better accuracy. 

The pinch gesture does have its uses for capturing photos or cancelling alarms but it would have been nice if it had expanded functionality to control music or video playback or control other apps in a future update.

On paper, Samsung notes that the ring is rated for at least 7 days of battery life and this number held out in the case of my Galaxy Ring review sample, lasting close to six and a half days before it needed to recharge from the charging case. Interestingly, Samsung has mentioned that if paired with a Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Ring can enjoy about 30% better battery life as it offloads overlapping health tracking metrics including sleep and heart rate tracking to the watch itself.

One thing to note is that smaller sized Galaxy Rings size 12 and under will have smaller batteries so they may not last as long by a day or so due to having smaller batteries. Even so, this kind of endurance is exceptional by any measure of the word. This means that you can be confident that you don’t need to haul the charging case with you if you make a weekend trip out of town. Charging a fully drained ring and charging case required about an hour and a half. 

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Ring?

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is a lightweight, discreet , and highly capable activity tracker, delivering impressive battery life and durability for everyday wear though it does not come cheap at RM2,099. While many of its best features  are limited to Samsung phone users—and its premium price exceeds that of even the latest Galaxy Watch7 — it still offers an immensely polished and seamlessly intuitive user experience. 

If you are looking for a sleek, comfortable health tracker that can seamlessly blend into your daily life, the Galaxy Ring is worthy of consideration.

Samsung Galaxy Ring review sample courtesy of Samsung Malaysia. For more details and to purchase please visit https://www.samsung.com/my/rings/galaxy-ring/galaxy-ring-titanium-black-size-10-sm-q500nzkaxme/