BARCELONA—Samsung put a ring on it. At Mobile World Congress the company announced the Samsung Galaxy Ring along with a revitalized health initiative. The company believes health and wellness can be better managed by technology and is working on hardware and software to make its vision a reality.
Similar to the Oura smart ring, Samsung's device will track basic metrics such as pulse, body temperature, and more. Working in coordination with Samsung's smartphones and other wearables, such as the Galaxy Watch 6, Samsung aims to provide people with a more complete picture of their health. The ring form factor will be more comfortable for many people to wear when compared with a smartwatch, for instance.
"Galaxy Ring will offer users an all-new way to simplify everyday wellness, empowering them with greater insights and more ways to understand themselves day and night," said Dr. Hon Pak in a prepared statement. "With Galaxy Ring, users can embrace an unrivaled experience during every step of their wellness journey, all while being delivered in lockstep with Samsung’s broader vision for a more connected, integrated, and seamless digital wellness platform."
(Credit: Eric Zeman)Samsung did not provide details concerning the hardware other than to show some prototype builds on the ground in Barcelona. It will be available in gold and silver colors, with a low profile that is intended for long-term wearing. The Galaxy Ring was behind glass.
AI will play a role, says Samsung. The company will use data generated by 64 million users to help create tools like the My Vitality Score and Booster Card for managing wellness.
Samsung will most likely launch the Galaxy Ring during its annual summer Unpacked event.