After a brief period of silence, the Samsung Ring rumors have picked up again recently, as leakers sent their feelers out to see what they could find. There is very little to be said about the Galaxy Ring specifications but we do have some Samsung Ring price leaks to remind everyone how much you need to have saved up for when we approach launch time. Fair warning, it does appear that you won’t be able to get away with making a one-time investment by just purchasing the device to gain the full experience. Rumors indicate that a Galaxy Ring monthly subscription plan is also in the works, which can cause the expenses to stack up over time.
The leaks suggest the subscription plan for the Samsung Galaxy Smart Ring will not be too expensive—not $24 USD per month like the Humane AI Pin—but it should be a point you consider before purchase.
Image: The Samsung Ring
Samsung Ring Rumors—One Step Closer to “Solving the Digital Health Dilemma”
The Samsung Galaxy Smart Ring has been teased for a really long time now and the company has provided more concrete confirmation that the ring is coming later this year. We don’t have too many details yet, but the situation beats Apple’s radio silence on when to expect its smart ring. The ring was displayed at MWC 2024 in February, and while users weren’t allowed to test the product, we were allowed a glimpse at its form factor, reigniting the hope for an early release.
The Samsung Ring rumors presented by AndroidAuthority indicate the ring could be released at the next Samsung Unpacked event on July 10, 2024. This would mean Samsung is almost at the finish line with less than two months to go.
Samsung Galaxy Ring as of now is priced at Rs 35k in India.
US price in the $300-350 range
Pretty expensive piece of tech..
— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) May 22, 2024
Returning to the Samsung Ring price leaks, X/Twitter user Yogesh Brar revealed that the Galaxy Ring will cost around $300-$350 in the U.S. and ₹35 thousand in India. The leaker didn’t explain how he came across this information, but these Galaxy Ring cost leaks are being treated as reliable for now considering they fall within the price range most had expected. Further adding to the Samsung Ring rumors, he also reported an “under $10 USD” Galaxy Ring monthly subscription fee that will follow the unpleasant trend of subscription plans for every experience in the modern world.
How Do You Feel About the Galaxy Ring Monthly Subscription Fee?
We’re not particularly thrilled about the Galaxy Ring monthly subscription plans from Samsung but we can’t say we didn’t expect it. The Ouran Ring 3, which ranges between $299-$549 USD, introduced a subscription plan with its third-gen model that adds up to $5.99 USD per month or $69.99 USD per year. You could attempt to use the ring without the subscription, but you would barely have any of the features that make a smart ring worth using.
The introduction of the subscription model left many users unhappy but a spokesperson from the company told The Verge the additional pricing was necessary to support their scientific research. We see why one-time purchases were not sufficient to keep the ball rolling, but on the user’s side, it’s quite frustrating to add another service to their ever-growing list of monthly expenses.
Especially when a service was previously free and the company managed just fine, a shift to a subscription model feels particularly cruel. As if to signal the future of the modern experience, Amazon’s Alexa is also reportedly shifting to a paid plan model, a company that has no need for additional monetary support for any level of scientific research.
Any Hints of the Galaxy Ring Specifications?
A press release by Dr. Hon Park, VP and Head of the Digital Health Team at Samsung, said a lot without saying anything substantial about the Galaxy Ring specifications, but we do have some general insight on the ring’s capabilities. The Galaxy Ring will have all the basic features that you would expect from a smartwatch—heart rate calculations, respiratory rate monitor, fertility tracking, sleep monitor, etc. Samsung received De Novo clearance from the U.S. FDA for their sleep apnea feature, which will provide users with a way to detect signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea that they can explore with their doctors. That should be an additional benefit of the ring.
The Samsung Health app is set to provide consolidated health assessments like a Vitality score and Booster Card, and the Samsung Galaxy Smart Ring will undoubtedly work as a conduit to collect this data. The Galaxy Ring specifications could also include a noninvasive glucose monitoring system according to CNBC. Available in black, gold, and silver, the Samsung Galaxy Smart Ring may be able to support wireless payments and provide positional data for XR glasses but these Ring rumors remain unconfirmed. There is also evidence to suggest that the Galaxy Ring specifications will not be compatible with an iOS phone, which will isolate a huge section of the market from accessing the device. More reasons for Apple to get on with its smart ring plans.
Samsung is hoping to integrate scattered health data by consolidating its ecosystem of devices and providing users with a deeper understanding of their well-being. Not only is the Galaxy Ring set to be a medium to channel this health data, but the company also intends to optimize AI to support this transformative technology. The Samsung Ring rumors we have today are insufficient to estimate how close the company has come to accomplishing their goal, but we’re keen to see what it has in store for us.