Samsung has pushed the boundaries of traditional wearable technology with the Galaxy Ring. Not only does it monitor heart rate and analyze sleep quality, but it also offers users a unique opportunity to obtain a “vitality index” that assesses their physical and mental readiness for the day ahead.
In January this year, this smart ring was the topic of a press conference at which the Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra smartphones were announced. Now Samsung is showing it at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. In an exclusive interview with CNBC, company vice president Hon Pak, who oversees the medical division of Samsung Electronics, shared details about the new product.
“Galaxy Ring, equipped with sensitive sensors, will be able to give readings about heart rate, breathing, the number of movements during sleep and the time it takes a person to fall asleep – Pak reported. “This device will give users an understanding of their physical and psychological readiness, allowing them to assess how productive they can be.”“
In pursuit of innovation, Samsung is also actively developing non-invasive blood glucose monitoring and blood pressure measurement, which Park says represents a huge step forward in health monitoring, making it more accessible and convenient.
Access to the information collected by the smart ring will occur through the Samsung Health application, and sales of the ring will begin this year. So far, Park has not disclosed either the price or the exact timing of the product’s appearance on the market. However, he mentioned the possible addition of a contactless payment function: “We have a whole team dedicated to this. But I think we’re certainly looking at a lot of different uses for the ring, not just in healthcare“
The development of the Galaxy Ring was motivated by the needs of Samsung customers seeking a variety of wearable health monitoring devices. “Our customers have expressed a desire to have choice. Some prefer to wear both a watch and a ring, getting the benefit of both devices, while others seek simplicity“Pak noted.
Samsung isn’t the only player in the smart ring market, but the Galaxy Ring’s unique features and integration with the Samsung Health ecosystem could set it apart from the competition. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays an important role in the development of Samsung’s healthcare services. Park expressed confidence in the future use of AI for health data analysis: “Imagine a large AI language model, acting as my digital assistant, starting to make inferences and provide deep, personalized advice.“,” Park shared his vision.
In the future, Park said, digital assistants and large language models could become true coaches for users, helping them live healthier lives and make informed decisions about their self-care. Bixby, Samsung’s digital assistant, combined with advanced AI technologies, can become part of this ecosystem, offering new forms of human-computer interaction.
Finally, Park shared his thoughts on the future introduction of the Samsung Health app subscription: “If you really want the user to pay, offer them something that provides a more comprehensive and comprehensive approach to health“
