Samsung Galaxy Ring vs Ultrahuman Ring Air: Which subscription-free smart ring wins?

Samsung simply unveiled its first-ever sensible ring, the Galaxy Ring, at its summer time Unpacked event. That is the primary time a serious tech firm has dived into the sensible ring area, and will sign larger competitors throughout the sensible ring market as extra Huge Tech corporations like Apple or Google throw their ring into the ring.

Additionally: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked July 2024

The Galaxy Ring displays your sleep, exercise, and vitality. It is made with titanium materials, is available in three colours (silver, black, and gold), and has a battery that allegedly lasts seven days. The sleep and vitality scores really feel just like scores provided by competing sensible ring manufacturers. The ring comes with an intriguing quick-charging case, with LED exterior lighting indicating the charging proportion. With the ring in your pointer finger, you need to use the double-pinch gesture to take images along with your cellphone or dismiss an alarm. 

Additionally: The best smart rings you can buy right now

One of the vital thrilling options of the Galaxy Ring, although, is its subscription-less mannequin. Many sensible rings and different wearables put customers’ information behind a paywall and cost month-to-month or yearly subscriptions to entry the data. The Galaxy Ring, fortunately, would not. Nevertheless it’s not the one one. The Ultrahuman Ring Air, one in every of my favourite sensible rings I’ve examined this yr, can also be subscription-free. How does the Ultrahuman Ring Air stack as much as the Galaxy Ring, and which must you purchase? I get into all of this beneath, so maintain studying. 

Specs

You can purchase the Samsung Galaxy Ring if… 

1. You’re a ride-or-die Android consumer

The Galaxy Ring will solely work throughout the Android ecosystem, so iPhone customers should sit this sensible ring alternative out, or look forward to Apple to make a sensible ring for itself. The seamless WearOS integration retains your well being information aggregated out of your Android system and your Galaxy Ring in a single place, and you do not have to juggle a number of apps to maintain observe of your information.  

2. You need in on the most well liked and latest innovation 

That is the primary main cellular model to come back out with a sensible ring and will sign a shift within the tech area if Apple and Google take notes and develop sensible rings of their very own. Early adopters and individuals who care in regards to the latest expertise will get a kick out of utilizing the Galaxy Ring.

There are some revolutionary options on the Galaxy Ring, just like the double-pinch gesture that may dismiss alarms or snap images along with your cellphone, you can take a look at out by way of this system. Out of all of the sensible rings I’ve reported on, this characteristic is the primary of its type.

Additionally: I tested this smart ring for fitness junkies. Here’s how it beats the Oura Ring

This is not to say that the Ultrahuman Ring Air would not pack some promising and revolutionary tech inside its sensible ring (there’s an AI meals insights device that makes use of ChatGPT for fitness- and diet-oriented meals suggestions, in any case). However whenever you purchase the Galaxy Ring, you get a frontrunner product within the tech and innovation area. 

Plus, with the established Samsung model, it is extra possible extra individuals will use the product, extra updates might be made to the software program, and you’ll go to shops like AT&T or Greatest Purchase to get your questions on the product answered or troubleshoot any points. 

3. You’re utilizing the ring for sleep-tracking

Samsung highlights sleep as the muse of wellness and prioritizes the Galaxy Ring’s sleep-tracking expertise and options. As soon as we get our arms on a hoop and take a look at the sleep-tracking options, we’ll report on the ability of the sleep-monitoring tech and algorithms. 

However for now, here is what we all know in regards to the Galaxy Ring’s sleep monitoring. The evaluation for sleep is “in depth”, in response to a press launch, and makes use of a robust sleep algorithm to watch and measure your sleep high quality. There is a sleep rating, which is fairly regular amongst sensible rings, and the ring additionally measures motion throughout sleep, sleep latency, and coronary heart and respiratory price. 

Additionally: This $299 smart ring is my new go-to sleep tracker, and it’s not by Oura

One other characteristic that makes the ring nice for sleep is its light-weight construct. When ZDNET’s Kerry Wan tried the ring out for himself, he was impressed by how gentle it felt on his finger. Relying in your ring dimension, the ring can weigh wherever from 2.3g to 3g, whereas the Ultrahuman Ring Air weighs wherever from 2.4g to three.6g. 

Whilst you sleep, you desire a sensible ring that feels slim and unobtrusive in your finger, so it is in an organization’s greatest curiosity to thoughtfully design a product that balances heavy-duty software program with light-weight {hardware}. Samsung appears to have achieved this steadiness. 

You can purchase the Ultrahuman Ring Air if… 

1. You’ve got an iPhone or an Android cellphone

In contrast to the Galaxy Ring, the Ultrahuman Ring Air works with iPhones working iOS 15 or later and Android units working Android 6 or later. You do not should be locked into the Android ecosystem to make use of this ring. 

2. You are obsessive about health 

I reviewed this sensible ring whereas I used to be coaching for my first half marathon, and thru months of use, I noticed how suitable Ultrahuman’s options have been for people who find themselves all-in on their health. Whereas the Galaxy Ring appeals to a extra basic buyer base, seemingly for individuals who need to monitor their on a regular basis well being and get some activity-tracking insights, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is for individuals who need to gamify their exercise, sleep, weight loss program, and exercise routine. 

Additionally: Oura unveils AI health advisor a day before Samsung Galaxy Ring’s likely debut

Primarily based on after I awoke, the Ultrahuman Ring Air would ship me notifications about after I ought to delay caffeine or different stimulants to flush residual adenosine out of my system. It could ship me strategies for exposing myself to daylight early within the morning and ping me on the finish of the day to prepared myself for mattress. It could inform me mid-day that my stimulant permissible window was closing and when to cease consuming caffeine. And it might inform me to eat protein-dense meals with my logged Cheez-Its to keep away from glucose spikes. 

You get the purpose: that is for individuals who aren’t simply recreationally wholesome. This ring is for individuals at all times coaching for some marathon or logging their macros and micros. You do not have to be that kind of particular person to make use of this ring (I do not contemplate myself that hardcore and nonetheless cherished this ring and its sleep and readiness scores that rivaled sensible ring mainstay Oura), however health junkies will love this ring most. 

3. You desire a inexpensive sensible ring 

Good rings are nonetheless new tech, and there is a good likelihood that, for those who purchase a sensible ring, it’s going to be the primary sensible ring you ever put on. You would possibly purchase one and understand you do not prefer it. At $350, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is $50 lower than the Galaxy Ring, so for those who’re attempting to get the least costly possibility or keep away from splurging on one thing you would possibly cease utilizing in just a few months, the Ultrahuman is the winner. 

Options to contemplate

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