Samsung debuts a ‘smart ring’ with health-tracking features — its first foray into the product category

Technology
Monday, February 26th, 2024 4:33 pm EDT

Key Points

  • Samsung introduces the Galaxy Ring, its latest wearable, featuring health-tracking capabilities such as heart rate and sleep monitoring, along with a unique vitality scoring system to assess users’ readiness for the day.
  • Hon Pak, head of Samsung’s digital health team, discusses the company’s debut in the smart ring category, potential subscription models for the Samsung Health app, and the vision for integrating artificial intelligence to provide personalized health insights.
  • The Galaxy Ring is set to complement Samsung’s existing ecosystem of smartphones and smartwatches, offering consumers more choices in health wearables. Pak emphasizes the role of AI in analyzing health data collected by devices, envisioning a future where digital assistants offer tailored health advice and insights. Additionally, Samsung considers adding noninvasive glucose monitoring and blood pressure sensing features to its wearable devices, aiming to enhance its position in the health tech market.

Samsung is introducing its latest wearable, the Galaxy Ring, equipped with health-tracking features such as heart rate and sleep monitoring, along with a unique vitality scoring system to gauge users’ readiness for the day. Headed by Hon Pak, Samsung’s digital health team is spearheading this initiative, which includes considerations for a potential subscription model for the Samsung Health app and the development of an artificial intelligence “coach” to provide personalized health insights. The Galaxy Ring, teased in January during the launch of the S24 smartphone, is being showcased for the first time at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Equipped with sensors, the ring will provide readings on heart rate, respiratory rate, sleep movement, and sleep onset time. Additionally, it will offer users a vitality score based on physical and mental readiness, accessible through the Samsung Health app. While Pak hinted at the possibility of integrating contactless payment features into the Galaxy Ring, he also highlighted Samsung’s ongoing efforts in noninvasive glucose monitoring and blood pressure sensing through wearable devices. Samsung’s ecosystem approach aims to offer users diverse wearable options for health monitoring, with the Galaxy Ring complementing its existing smartwatches. Pak emphasized the importance of choice for consumers, driven by feedback from Samsung customers who seek simplicity and versatility in health wearables. Furthermore, Pak discussed the potential role of artificial intelligence in delivering deeper health insights and personalized recommendations, envisioning a future where AI-driven digital assistants offer tailored health advice. While considering a subscription model for the Samsung Health app, Pak emphasized the need for comprehensive health insights to justify such a service, suggesting that AI assistants could enhance the app’s capabilities.

For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/26/samsung-galaxy-ring-specs-features-release-date.html