Samsung Galaxy Ring vs RingConn Smart Ring

The New Kid on The Block

At the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung revealed the Galaxy Ring, a smart wearable that fits on your finger. This groundbreaking concept of a “smart ring” is unfortunately not a novel one, brands like Oura Ring and RingConn have been active in the market.

These rings work to gather information about your body and wellness through metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, duration and quality of sleep and for the RingConn Smart Ring, tracking stress levels. Having such health metrics and data at your fingertips has great appeal for users hoping to improve their quality of life. As their first entry into the smart ring race, all eyes are on the tech giant and its Galaxy Ring.

The RingConn Smart Ring is one brand that holds experience over the newcomer. With insightful features and active updates, RingConn has proven itself to be one of the best smart ring brands available. (Using the information revealed in the announcement), it is time to see how the Galaxy ring stands against the smart ring veteran, RingConn.

Price

Undoubtedly, with any new piece of technology, pricing is going to be a hot topic. How much would consumers have to fork out to adopt these products? Revealed in the Galaxy Unpacked event, the Galaxy Ring is going for retail at USD$399. While yet to be released in Singapore, speculations have priced the ring at SGD$539, which does come as shocker.

Samsung also seems to be taking a page out of RingConn’s book, withholding from a subscription model, even though the ring does not shrink from its high upfront cost. The $539 price tag that Samsung is introducing places it in the middle of the market, just beneath the premium models available from Oura Ring, but this new kid on the block has much to prove.

In comparison, the RingConn Smart Ring is priced at SGD$419, a whopping $120 difference in price. Which doesn’t come justified given that these 2 rings come with very similar form and functions, software and hardware. Equipped with both skin temperature and photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors with a 3-axis accelerometer, RingConn does an excellent job tracking your health accurately, while the Galaxy Ring’s effectiveness is yet to be determined. Consumers thinking of getting the new ring may want to consider evaluating the different rings in the market for the best value.

Compatibility

If you were watching the event, one of the features of the Galaxy Ring may leave you confused. The Galaxy Ring was announced to work best with Samsung devices, with a large proportion of its features hinging on the Galaxy AI and Samsung Heath apps. The exclusivity of the Galaxy Ring effectively cuts out a large proportion of smart phone users.

Other android users would not be able to access the health and wellness tips generated by the Galaxy AI, including the “Energy Score” that Samsung created to monitor the body’s condition. Needless to say, like the other Galaxy Wearables, compatibility to Apple products would be non-existent or kept to the minimum.

Smart rings that are currently in the market were made for all types of phones. The RingConn Smart Rings works well with both Android and Apple devices, connecting via Bluetooth and its own app. The health data from RingConn also pairs seamlessly with apps like Apple Health. With no features hidden behind phone-specific systems, RingConn is able to cater to a larger base of smartphone users.

Stress tracking

One feature that Samsung presented was the Galaxy Ring’s generated “Energy Score”. Using its different sensors and the Samsung artificial intelligence framework, a rough gauge of the user’s mental and physical condition is generated. The Galaxy AI then generates “Wellness Tips”, recommendations that range from ways to improve sleep, to exercises that could improve the user’s body.

This feature however, seems to be reminiscent of the Oura Ring’s “Readiness Score”, which likewise evaluates the condition of the body and provides recommendations accordingly.

Unique among smart rings, the stress monitor from RingConn sets it apart from the Galaxy Ring. By measuring heart rate and heart rate variability throughout the day, a score between 1 - 100 is given, 80 to 100 being the range for high stress.

By seeing and understanding how stress fluctuates throughout the day, users can make improvements in managing stressors and reducing their impact. The Galaxy Ring may be helpful with the wellness tips it generates, but RingConn’s innovation helps the user understand their body on a deeper level.

Before You Buy

The introduction of Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is an eye-opener to the multitude. However brands like RingConn have smart ring solutions that can be of greater value, has great compatibility with your phone, and can have innovative features for your quality of life. Before rushing to pre-order your Galaxy Ring, you might want to consider brands like RingConn for a better fit.

To find out more about the RingConn Smart Ring, click here!


Author: Ian