We’ve now witnessed every phase of the health-tracking craze. It started with the Fitbit fad, progressed to smartphone apps, then smartwatches, and even the Google Hub device that sits by my bed and listens to me snoring.
Now comes the Galaxy Ring, a 3 gram, titanium-coated ring that wraps around my index finger and monitors my heart rate, exercise and sleeping patterns. None of that is new. A smart ring’s killer app is its simplicity.
In a world of ever more electronic bling, it’s the discreet, convenient option to keep tabs on your health without the bulk or distractions associated with smart watches or smart phones.
Smart watches surged in popularity a few years ago not because people wanted message alerts buzzing on their wrists. The worried well wanted to monitor their heart rate, stress levels and daily step count, a task your smartphone isn’t able to accurately accomplish on its own. The Apple Watch dominates the market, but you are lucky if you get two days of use from it before it needs recharging.
Take the screen away and you have a gadget that uses sensors to gather all your vital signs, but runs for the best part of a week between charges.
But the smart ring movement has been slow to reach New Zealand. The original market leader, the Oura Ring, isn’t widely available here. So Samsung’s Galaxy Ring will fill a niche when it goes on sale next month for $699. The Galaxy Ring is compatible with other Android phones, such as Oppo and Motorola, but isn’t compatible with iPhones.
A ring is a much more personal device than a watch. For starters, it needs to fit your finger perfectly. You’ll need to use a sizing kit to get the right fit. I was measured up as needing the biggest ring for my index finger, a size 13. After a few days wearing it, I looked down with alarm to see that the matt-black, waterproof Galaxy Ring was no longer on my finger. I eventually found it on the shower floor. Had I dropped it while away from home, my smartphone, which is paired with it, would have recorded its last known location, which Samsung shows you on a map.
The Galaxy Ring includes the usual health tracking measures – heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature. The most useful feature in my book is its sleep-tracking feature, which gives you a score out of 100, tracking you through the sleep stages and recording your sleeping heart rate and respiratory rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature.
I found the Galaxy Ring significantly more accurate than the Google Hub, which uses a sensor to monitor my body movements during the night, no wearable gadget involved. I was pleased to get a sleep score hovering between 80 and 90 most days. Similarly, an energy score rates you on your level of physical activity.
There’s growing evidence that use of health trackers can improve public health by encouraging exercise. A smart ring won’t make you any more active than using a smart watch. But it will let you track your activity without needing to carry a phone or smart watch.
For active, outdoorsy people, that’s a big advantage. Because a smart ring pairs with your smartphone, it also has the potential to act as a remote control. You can make a double pinch motion to use the Galaxy Ring to control the camera or kill the alarm on your phone.
This is not a cheap device so for most users it will come down to choosing between a smart watch and a smart ring. The minimalist, screen-free option certainly has its appeal, if only to avoid the constant need to charge up a smart watch.
