Samsung just wrapped up its summer Unpacked event in Paris, France, where the company made big hardware announcements, including the launch of two new products: the Galaxy Ring and the Galaxy Watch Ultra. 

Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked July 2024

Samsung is launching its Galaxy Ring to compete against Oura, the smart ring market leader and manufacturer of the Oura Ring, which is available in Heritage and Horizon styles that share the same capabilities. Per the tech specs, the Oura Ring is the most direct competitor to the Galaxy Ring. Although they share some of the same features, each has key advantages over the other.

We compare them below to help you pick the smart ring that best suits your needs and lifestyle.

Specifications

You should buy the Samsung Galaxy Ring if…

1. You don’t want to pay a subscription

The Samsung Galaxy Ring may be more expensive than the Oura Ring, but it has a key advantage that makes users like myself reconsider: The Galaxy Ring’s gathered data and features can be accessed without a subscription. That’s right, you can buy a $300+ smartwatch and access its features without a subscription. Other expensive fitness wearables should work this way.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Ring’s best feature would be to not lock my data behind a paywall

Oura requires a monthly $5.99 subscription to use its smart ring, which gives you access to sleep analysis, live heart rate monitoring, temperature trend monitoring, and personalized health insights. A subscription fee is par for the course for Fitbits too, but these fitness trackers tend to be relatively inexpensive, whereas an Oura Ring costs between $300 and $350. 

The Galaxy Ring, with many of the same features as the Oura Ring and then some, is more expensive at $400. That said, you save on the monthly subscription, making up for the $50 difference in less than nine months of use. 

2. You want a more portable solution

The Samsung Galaxy Ring includes a portable charging case for setting the ring down wherever you are, just like an earbuds case. The Oura Ring, however, includes a plug-in charging stand, so you can’t just put your ring in a case in your bag and go.

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

Although these smart rings are efficient and feature an up to seven-day battery life, having a wireless charging case is helpful when you’re about to get your hands dirty or when you want to take a break from the device. Plus, charging your ring on the go is useful if you forgot to do so at home.

3. You want to try ‘the next big thing’

Samsung is going all out with its Galaxy Ring, offering a high-end smart ring with all-new AI capabilities built into Samsung Health. The Galaxy Ring will give you many of the same features offered by the Oura Ring — including a sleep score, cycle tracking, an energy score, and the ability to track the ring with the app — but without a subscription.

Also: How I improved my fitness performance by tracking this often-overlooked metric

The Galaxy Ring is also lighter and features Gestures, which lets you double-pinch to complete tasks on your smartphone, including taking photos and dismissing alarms. The Galaxy Ring integrates seamlessly with the Galaxy environment, as evidenced by the support of Samsung Find to locate the ring when needed.

You should buy the Oura Ring if…

1. You’re an iPhone user

Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is an Android-exclusive experience, so loyal iOS users looking to buy one are out of luck. Oura has an iOS and Android app, so Oura Ring users don’t need to worry about their phone operating system. If you’re an iPhone user, think of the Samsung Galaxy Ring as the Apple Watch for iOS or the Galaxy Watch for Android devices.

Also: 8 Apple Watch settings I changed to dramatically improve battery life

The dedicated Oura app is user-friendly and offers detailed health statistics. It features integrations with Apple Health, so user data from the Oura ring is added to the Health app and vice versa.

2. You prefer a wider color palette

The Samsung Galaxy Ring only has three color finishes, while the Oura Ring Heritage features four. The Horizon variant is available in six finishes, including matte options and rose gold. The Galaxy Ring is available in a glossy finish for the gold color and matte finishes for the black and silver options, while the Oura Ring Horizon offers matte black and silver options. 

Also: How to preorder the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6, Watch Ultra, Ring, and find the best deals

The $300 Oura Ring Heritage variant has a flat top on one side, so you know which side to wear facing up, while the $350 Horizon is completely round, like the Galaxy Ring. While Oura says both the Horizon and Heritage rings feature the same hardware and software capabilities, the color and finish variations give you even more options to choose from.

Alternatives to consider

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