Comparing Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring: Does Samsung do better than the competition?

The Galaxy Ring's appearance at MWC revealed some pretty important details. Now, there is no doubt that the Galaxy Ring will compete directly with the famous Oura Ring when it launches. So how will Galaxy Ring compete with the current smart ring market leader? Let's find out details through the following article!

Design and size

The Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring in terms of design look identical. However, there is one main difference: while the Galaxy Ring has a concave design, the Oura Ring has a convex design.

Some smart rings on the market, like the Ultrahuman Ring AIR and even the Oura Ring, have a concave structure. This automatically makes these rings susceptible to scratches due to frequent collisions with surfaces.

It's nice to see Samsung paying attention to such details and implementing them on the Galaxy Ring. However, the concave design does more than just help avoid scratches.

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Thanks to this structure of the Galaxy Ring, you can wear the ring for a longer period of time. The edges of the Galaxy Ring are rounded enough to not cause marks on the skin. That makes it more comfortable to wear than the Oura Ring.

Size is important when it comes to rings. Smart rings are no exception. Oura Ring comes in 8 different size options (6 to 13). However, Galaxy Ring offers up to 9 different size options (5 to 13).

The sensor sections are also said to be smaller than those of the Oura Ring, Rita reports. So chances are you won't feel the Galaxy Ring's sensor bumping as much as with the Oura.

Weight & Color

Another important factor is the weight of such smart rings. You don't want the ring to feel like a brick on your finger, right? The weight of the Galaxy Ring ranges from 2.3 to 2.9 grams, super light and probably the most ideal choice.

The Oura Ring weighs 4 to 6 grams and the Ultrahuman Ring AIR weighs 2.4 to 3.6 grams. However, be aware that if Samsung uses a metal body for the final product, it will be heavier than the current plastic prototype. So, nothing is certain here.

However, if you want more flexible color options, the Oura Ring will not disappoint. Oura Ring is available in Brushed Titanium, Gold, Rose Gold, Stealth, Silver and Black. Meanwhile, at the MWC 2024 presentation, the Galaxy Ring only had Platinum, Gold and Ceramic Black color options.

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Regarding the materials used for the two rings, it is difficult to draw exact conclusions. This is largely because the Galaxy Ring on display at MWC 2024 is still a prototype made from plastic. Samsung has not yet confirmed anything about the final product with a metal shell.

Now, if it had a metal finish, it would obviously allow the Galaxy Ring to compete with the Oura Ring's titanium body. However, it is impossible to say for sure on that aspect at this time.

Health features

Even though Oura Ring has been out for a while, the Galaxy Ring's complete feature set is still a mystery. So while there isn't much to compare here, the fact that Samsung shared a bunch of details should keep us going.

First, like the Oura Ring, Samsung really focused on the Galaxy Ring being an advanced, stylish, and fun sleep tracker. The Korean company has confirmed the presence of features such as My Vitality Score, which works similarly to the Readiness Score of Oura Ring and Recovery Score on Ultrahuman Ring AIR.

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Basically, these features extract data from various sensors on the smart ring like heart rate monitor, temperature sensor, sleep tracker, etc. working 24 x 7 to give a score Prepare mentally and physically for the next day.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Ring will also offer something called a Booster Card to further support this Vitality Score. The Booster Card feature will be seamlessly integrated within the Samsung Health mobile app to provide users with additional recommendations and insights to become a healthier version of themselves.

On the other hand, the Oura app works on three scores of sleep, readiness and activity. These 3 scores will be based on data measured by Oura Ring's heart rate, temperature and other sensors.

Additionally, Samsung has also confirmed that the menstrual and fertility tracking technology that the Galaxy Watch uses with its app, Natural Cycles, will also be extended to the brand's first smart ring. However, please note that Oura Ring also uses Natural Cycles as it is the only birth control app approved by the FDA at this time. So you can expect to see similar results with the Galaxy Ring.

However, there is a catch here. The most important features that provide in-depth insights and personalized guidance are required for a fee with Oura Ring. So unless you pay the $5.99 monthly fee, you'll be missing out on the true potential of Oura Ring. The ring won't be completely useless, but the locked features are what make it special.

Now, that most likely won't happen with the Galaxy Ring, as Samsung can survive without imposing subscription fees on users. If so, features like Vitality scoring and Booster Card will not be locked with a subscription fee. That would immediately give Galaxy Ring significant leverage over Oura Ring.

Can you pay with a smart ring?

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If you're planning to buy a smart ring, you can expect it to also support you with contactless payments. Even India's 7 Ring smart ring was introduced last year with NFC, thereby addressing this very often requested feature.

Just before this smart ring was announced, Oura acquired Proxy, a digital identity platform. So, the next generation Oura Ring is expected to arrive with the ability to make contactless payments, confirm an individual's identity, etc.

Meanwhile, Samsung is not ignoring those who want to pay with smart rings and is exploring different 'use cases' of the upcoming Galaxy Ring. If that is indeed the case and the Galaxy Ring comes to market with NFC before the next-generation Oura Ring, it will certainly be a big step forward.

Battery life

What good are all the features above if there isn't enough battery to power them? Furthermore, when it comes to everyday smart devices like smartwatches, headphones, and rings, you wouldn't want to waste time charging them multiple times a day. Instead, you want a device that lets you forget about the charger for a while.

That's what both Oura and Galaxy Ring offer. However, the Galaxy Ring can do it a little better. At least that's what the latest reports suggest.

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When speaking with Financial News, Samsung confirmed the Galaxy Ring offers 5 to 9 days of battery life on a single charge. However, when it comes to Oura Ring, it has a shelf life of up to 6 days. That's 3 more days of pretty much every benefit you get from the Galaxy Ring. However, only when the product is released can we confirm this claim.

However, the worst case scenario is that the battery life will be on par with the Oura Ring, and that's not a bad thing. Now, on paper, the Galaxy Ring's battery life seems quite impressive!

Price & registration

The Oura Ring variants cost between $300 and $550, plus the $5.99/month subscription fee mentioned earlier. Now, if Samsung wants its Galaxy Ring to compete with the Oura Ring, it needs to offer a competitive price. A guess is that somewhere between 250 and 400 USD would be ideal.

In addition to the lower price, if Samsung didn't require a subscription, the Galaxy Ring would be a no-brainer for most people. If Samsung offered the same price as Oura Ring without adding any payments, it would still be the ideal choice. What matters is the value you get for the money you spend.

Because, many of Oura Ring's valuable features like Body Clock, monthly/yearly reports and the like are locked until you pay the subscription fee. Therefore, Samsung implementing a no-registration strategy with its smart ring will solve this big problem and gain immediate success.

However, this is just an assumption for now. Only time will tell what Samsung has prepared for its first ring.

Which should you choose: Galaxy Ring or Oura Ring?

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Right now, it would be unfair to immediately declare a 'winner' in this fight. This is mainly because the details of the Galaxy Ring are still vague. We still don't know all about what the final product will be.

Prototypes are always subject to change and you never know what action Samsung might take at the last moment. However, there are a few things you really need to keep in mind when deciding which wearable to buy once the Galaxy Ring officially launches.

While Oura Ring supports both Android and iOS, Galaxy Ring will most likely only support Android. The reason is that after Galaxy Watch 3, Samsung stopped supporting iOS devices.

We also see Samsung working hard to build an ecosystem, and that fact was reinforced with the launch of the Galaxy S24 series. Samsung's plan to streamline its devices and combine them with AI no longer comes as a surprise.

Furthermore, Dr. Hon Pak, Vice President of Samsung's Digital Health Group, also confirmed that wearing the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring at the same time will further improve the accuracy of sleep tracking metrics.

In this way, Samsung is probably aiming to solve a potential problem in product uptake, as it is understandable that most people will prefer the Ring's form factor over the Galaxy Watch. With this, users who want to participate in the Samsung ecosystem can take full advantage of it.

Ultimately, if the Galaxy Ring comes out with all the features that don't require a fee, the Oura Ring will certainly have a hard time trying to prove its value. Of course, what matters is how the Galaxy Ring might perform in real life after launch.

Then there's the big question of price. Samsung may reveal pricing and other details in the coming months. That will help us understand a lot better the Galaxy Ring's position in the market when it launches. Until then, please wait patiently!

Isabella Humphrey

Update 01 March 2024