It seems that the smartwatchespopularized during the Covid-19 pandemic as great allies in monitoring human health, are now a thing of the past. The trend now is smart ringa device that has been gaining attention especially after being used by the England men’s football team, and the Samsung Samsung Electronics Co. quickly began riding this wave. The brand introduced its newest wearable device, the Galaxy Ring, during the Galaxy Unpacked event held last Wednesday (10), marking its entry into the smart ring market.
The Galaxy Ring uses small sensors to track a variety of health metrics, including heart rate, sleep and menstrual cycle, and is the latest addition to Samsung’s ecosystem of AI-powered devices.
The company’s Vice President and Head of Mobile Devices for the UK and Ireland, James Kitto, celebrated the launch of the Galaxy Ring as a big moment for the company.
“Samsung’s smallest and most discreet product yet, the device promises to offer accurate 24/7 health, wellness and sleep monitoring,” said the executive.
For Ben Wood, analyst at CCS Insight, the choice of product is an interesting bet for Samsung. The company estimates that there will be a total global market of around four million smart rings by 2025.
“That’s a rounding error when compared to the 250 million smartwatches which should also be sold,” the analyst told the BBC.
But others suggest Samsung could help make smart rings more popular.
“For most consumers, Samsung’s smart ring will be the first time they have had contact with this type of device, and this awareness makes a big difference in the long run,” said Francisco Jeronimo, Analyst at Market Research firm IDC.
Smartwatches generally have more sensors than smart rings, allowing them to access and provide a wider range of health data. However, smart rings, in addition to being smaller and more stylish than smartwatches, are less intrusive and offer a convenient and comfortable alternative for those who do not want to wear bulky devices, especially at night. With their compact design, they could become the natural successors to smartwatchessuch as the Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch. This market is currently dominated by Finnish health technology company Oura.
In recent years, rings have become a fitness fashion staple for celebrities like Kim Kardashian.
The Galaxy Ring will work on Android phones running Android 11 or higher, as long as the user has the Samsung Health app installed. However, some exclusive features, such as getting an energy score and personalized suggestions based on user data, will only be available on Galaxy devices, reinforcing the synergy within the brand’s ecosystem.
Dr Efpraxia Zamani, Associate Professor of Information Systems at Durham University, points out that the Galaxy Ring, as part of a wider ecosystem of products that provide insights about users’ health and well-being, it could be an attractive offer for many consumers. However, she warns that users should remain cautious about collecting and sharing health data, especially sensitive data such as menstrual cycles.
“Being part of an ecosystem means that data can be collected from the ring, the watch, the phone, and then, when gathered together, have more negative impacts than positive ones,” the doctor explained to the international portal.
And you, are you excited or worried about the popularization of this new technology?
* With information from BBC
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