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Someone had to buckle up first. While tech companies around the world are making the best smartwatches with constant performance improvements under the hood with each generation, aesthetically no one has really taken any chances. Every year, the best Apple WatchPixel Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, etc. look similar to those before them, and while the performance improvements are significant, wearable fans are calling for a step change in design direction.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy Ringwhich managed to take Samsung’s existing healthcare technology infrastructure, both hardware and software, and miniaturize it to fit an entirely new form factor. So far, the best smart rings were the province of startups like Oura and Ultrahuman, with the most high-profile offering being Oura Ring. But Samsung was the first major tech company to take a risk and launch a smart ring, earning our TechRadar Choice Awards 2024 gong for health and fitness product of the year.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch line has already given Samsung a great start in sleep tracking, activity monitoring, and sensors to monitor heart rate, skin temperature, blood oxygen, and more Again. The sleep algorithms and profiles (or “chronotypes” to use the scientific term) come with practical tips to help you improve your sleep, and while it may be mundane, daily tips you can find anywhere (try setting and sticking to a bedtime, try changing times). off screens before bed, yadda yadda), chronotypes allow a truly personal insight into your habits.

Combined with Samsung’s automatic activity tracking, which automatically records when you walk or run, the Galaxy Watch’s infrastructure was perfect for a smaller wearable: all Samsung had to do was put them in a ring and to ensure that the ring could sync with the already existing Samsung Health app via Bluetooth.

Without a screen, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is a set-it-and-forget-it passive tracker, like all smart rings so far, so the battery doesn’t have much to do in terms of power output or interaction: just enough to keep the sensors and Bluetooth connection running. Without much power output from a relatively small 18-23.5 mAh battery, this allows the ring to last a week, which is perfect for sleep tracking.

The end result was a resounding success in every way. I really enjoyed wearing it and gave it 4.5 stars in my Samsung Galaxy Ring review. I said, “Samsung’s first-generation Galaxy Ring is this year’s wearable, if you can stomach the high price.” However, even that comment has aged well: it’s also subscription-free, unlike Oura, so even though it’s a premium product (which costs $400 / £400 / AU$699 for such a small device), it’s a winner from a value perspective. of view.

It’s ideal for health data enthusiasts, athletes interested in recovery, and Android users looking for a premium activity tracker. It also became a commercial success, and we’re confident a Galaxy Ring 2 is already in the works. This is a historic moment in the history of wearable technology and our 2024 health and fitness product of the year.