If you were asked to name an Android smartwatch company, Samsung would probably be the first one that comes to mind.
Its range of Galaxy Watches has been a mainstay of the smartwatch market since its introduction in 2018, but has gained a lot of traction since shifting to Wear OS three years later.
And when it comes to functionality, the updated Galaxy Watch 7 and brand-new Galaxy Watch Ultra are the most capable wearables Samsung has ever made.
However, all that functionality has always come at a cost: battery life. Even the longest-lasting Galaxy Watches struggle to get more than two days on a single charge, meaning you often have to sacrifice vital data collection or a night of sleep tracking to get it back up and running.
The new Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra can’t compete with the Galaxy Ring in terms of battery life
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
That can get annoying very quickly, so it’s no surprise that you might be considering alternatives. And if you don’t need a display, Samsung’s new wearable might be the perfect solution.
The Galaxy Ring is a brand-new product from the company. As the name suggests, it’s a smart ring to rival the likes of Oura, providing tracking and health insights (via the companion app) from your finger.
Of course, that means its functionality is much more limited than the Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Ring can only really be used to check vital signs, track workouts and monitor your sleep, plus take photos or silence alarms via gestures when connected to a compatible Samsung phone.
However, that more limited feature set has big implications for battery life. Samsung says you can expect up to seven days of battery life from the two largest sizes of Galaxy Ring, or up to six days on the smaller sizes.
When you do finally run out, a full charge via USB-C will take around an hour, while the case also supports Qi wireless charging.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
One thing to be aware of is that the £399/$399.99 price tag is higher, but unlike the Oura Ring and some other smart ring rivals, there are no subscription costs on top of that.
So, if you want to stay within the Samsung ecosystem but also get great battery life from your wearable, the Galaxy Ring is the way to go.
Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.
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