I was excited to get a Galaxy Ring as a companion to my Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Watch 6. Yet after less than a week with the wearable, I returned it. I wish it worked out; here’s why it didn’t.
I Was Really Happy With the Tech
It’s perfectly valid to view a smart ring as unnecessary if you already have a smartwatch. I know I did when I first heard about them, but there are a few features about the Galaxy Ring in particular that stood out to me.
The primary appeal was redundancy. I could take my watch off to charge with the peace of mind that I wasn’t missing any step tracking. Likewise, if I forgot to put my watch back on before bed, I wouldn’t miss out on a night’s worth of sleep data.
The Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy Ring also share tasks, reducing the burden on either device. As a result, you get better battery life out of both. Plus, the Galaxy Ring has a pinch gesture that can dismiss alarms. The lack of a required subscription is also a huge advantage the Galaxy Ring has over competitors.
During my week with the Galaxy Ring, all of this worked great. I loved it! So, what was the problem?
Sadly, It’s Too Big for Comfort
There’s a reason I don’t wear any rings other than my wedding band: I have skinny fingers with wide knuckles. If I size a ring to snugly fit my finger, it’s almost impossible to get over my knuckle. If I size it for my knuckle, it flops around loosely once on. My wedding band sits in the middle—about as small as I can go while still getting over my knuckle, but not without considerable effort. It’s still looser than I’d like.
I can’t size a smart ring the same way, as it needs to be able to go over my knuckle much more regularly. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve taken off my wedding band since getting married, but I have to take off a smart ring every one or two weeks to charge.
I thus had to size my smart ring larger than I would a regular ring. On top of that, the Galaxy Ring is around three times wider and three times thicker than my wedding band. Most of the time, it was simply too difficult to forget it was there. I also couldn’t wear it on the finger it fit best (my right index), because it bumped against the back of my phone and got in the way of many tasks, like chopping vegetables in the kitchen.
I could consider shopping around, but this will likely be an issue with any current smart ring. For instance, check out Gavin’s review of the Circular Ring Slim. Look at the size of this thing that has “slim” in the name!
The Ring Is Too Cheap-Looking for the Price
I bought the Galaxy Ring in silver. It matches my silver Z Fold 6 and my silver Galaxy Watch almost precisely. Yet while the finish feels premium on both of those devices, it looks cheap on the Galaxy Ring. It gave the impression that I spent hundreds of dollars on a plastic ring with a pulsing green light on the bottom—like a kid might pick out at Target.
I felt the ring looked too cheap for what I paid, and I didn’t even pay full price! I managed to snag a “like new” ring open box from Best Buy for $200, half of its $400 sticker price. Side note: I also bought my used, “like new” Z Fold 6 for half its sticker price as well. Buying used phones over new is a great way to save money on tech.
Part of me wonders if I would have liked a black ring more, but even if I did, that wouldn’t address the size issue. It would still be too bulky and uncomfortable. I knew it was time to return the ring when I took it off to charge and felt, with relief, how comfortable my hand was without the ring on. Why should I put it back on?
