Samsung debuted its upcoming Galaxy Ring last month alongside the Galaxy S24 phones, and during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the company started to highlight how the data the Ring collects will work with artificial intelligence.
Starting with a Sunday teaser announcement, Samsung said the Galaxy Ring will be part of a larger Samsung Health push, in which the company intends to have AI analyze health data collected by the Ring or by Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6.
Read more: Samsung’s Galaxy Ring Will Be Your Most Stylish Sleep-Tracking Bling. I Tried It On
Samsung’s health plans include integrating that data with its SmartThings smart home platform. The company says this could include features like controlling connected lights based on your sleep needs or setting alerts for medicine.
My colleague Katie Collins also spent time trying on the Galaxy Ring during MWC, which will come in different sizes with different battery capacities. Sleep tracking will be among the health features the Galaxy Ring plans to roll out, using metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, night movement and sleep latency. The Galaxy Ring can also be worn in tandem with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, which can help increase the accuracy of how sleep is tracked. However the Galaxy Ring can also be used on its own, without requiring that extra wearable.
Samsung’s AI health plans will arrive just as Google’s Fitbit plans a similar program called Fitbit Labs — which Google says will also use AI to provide insights based on health and fitness data collected by devices like the Pixel Watch.
The Galaxy Ring is entering a space that’s been largely dominated by the Oura Ring but will also see new competition from Movano Health’s Evie Ring this year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported Sunday that Apple has explored the possibility of creating new fitness accessories like its own ring, but that the company otherwise isn’t in active development of one.
Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Ring: Our First Glimpse of Samsung’s Health-Tracking Wearable
Even though Samsung has been building smartwatches and fitness trackers for several years, the company hopes the Galaxy Ring will provide a more subtle wearable option. Samsung’s Hon Pak, who’s a vice president and head of the digital health team at Samsung, told my colleague Lisa Eadicicco that it’s one part of the company’s goals for Samsung Health.
“Some people want a more simple form factor, and [the] Ring represents that,” Pak said in a January interview.
These AI-powered health features that the Galaxy Ring will integrate with also come as Samsung continues to develop its Galaxy AI features, including bringing them to the Galaxy S23 series of phones following their debut on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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Mike Sorrentino
