Oura has effectively held a monopoly over smart rings ever since it launched its first finger-worn wearable in 2013. Ultrahuman (and a few others) have taken a nibble out of the Finnish brand's market share since then, but by and large the terms 'Oura' and 'smart ring' have been used interchangeably. Now, one of tech's biggest names is ready to test Oura's supremacy. After a long wait, Samsung has officially announced the launch of its own miniature health tracker, the Galaxy Ring.
Time will tell whether Samsung's new offering will be a success, but should it be, you can bet that Google and Apple won't be too far behind. Before that happens, there's one immediate question worth asking: how does the Galaxy Ring stack up against the now well-established Oura Ring? To find out, we take a close look at the specs of each device and share our first impressions.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Oura Ring
Design – The Same But Different
At first glance, the two devices look virtually identical. Unlike fitness watches, where there's plenty of room to express a brand's unique look, it seems that there are fewer opportunities for design flare with a smart ring once you've squeezed in a bunch of sensors and made sure it's lightweight, slim and comfortable for wearers.
There are some subtle differences between the two, however. The exterior of the Galaxy Ring is slightly concaved and comes in a flush, circular shape as standard across all three colourways. The Oura Ring also comes in a flush option – the Horizon Ring – as well as a plateau design (the Heritage Ring) with a series of subtle flat edges.
If you were hoping for a move away from the typical jewellery-like design of the Oura Ring, perhaps with a bunch of bold colourways, prepare to be disappointed. Each of the three versions of the Galaxy Ring mimic the shiny, metallic finish of the Oura Ring. There's also no matte version, which Oura currently offers.
In terms of durability, both the Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring are made from titanium and have a 10 ATM water-resistant rating, which means they're fine to wear swimming. The Galaxy Ring is also IP68-rated, which means that its also dustproof. Neither should be worn for any type of diving, so if you're a scuba, remember to leave yours at shore.
Features – The AI Age
On paper, Samsung's features are similar to Oura's. The new Galaxy Ring tracks your sleep, health and activity via three sensors: an optical bio-signal sensor that monitors your heart rate and heart condition; an accelerometer that tracks your movement; and a third that takes regular readings on how your skin temperature changes while you sleep.
Expect to hear a lot of talk around AI during this year's tech events. Samsung are leaning heavily into their own offering – Galaxy AI – which will power the Galaxy Ring's daily health report, generate personalised health tips, send you high and low heart rate alerts and calculate your daily energy score.
Like the Oura Ring, the Galaxy Ring also features automatic workout detection.
Price – Oura is Cheaper (Sort Of)
The new Samsung Galaxy Ring retails for £399. The Oura Ring starts at starts at £299 and rises up to £549 for the most-advanced version (in the rose gold colourway).
Oura is technically cheaper, but the hidden monthly costs quickly closes the gap. While the Galaxy Ring doesn't require a monthly subscription to access everything in the Samsung Health App, with Oura you have to take out a £5.99 monthly membership on top of the one-off cost of the device to fully use its like-for-like offering – otherwise you get limited functionality.
Time will tell if Oura decides to ditch the 'optional' recurring fee, but for now it's here to stay.
Compatibility – Bad News for iOS
Compatibility is a big talking point around the new Galaxy Ring. Like some of Samsung's smartwatches and headphones, which you can't use in full with non-Android devices, you won't be able to use the Galaxy Ring if you're an iPhone user.
Restricting over half of smartphone users from your new product might sound like a questionable move from Samsung, and it's certainly bad news for us users, but it's unsurprising given the way tech brands have pushing users towards their own ecosystems of products.
This could all be good news for Oura though, who will likely now retain iPhone users – that is, until Apple decide to get in on the action.
The new Samsung Galaxy Ring is currently available for pre-order, with general availability starting on 24 July 2024.
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