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Samsung‘s first-gen smart ring has an official name. It’s called the Galaxy Ring. While the company hasn’t announced the product or shared any information, its Galaxy Wearable app has spilled the beans. The app has also revealed a tentative launch timeline for the upcoming finger-worn gadget from the Korean conglomerate.
A few days back, users in South Korea discovered a new icon resembling a ring when decompiling the APK for the Galaxy Wearable app, the smartphone companion for Samsung’s wearable devices. They couldn’t find any text description for the icon, which doesn’t appear on the user-facing side of the app. However, 9to5Google went deep into the APK looking for more information. And they did find some interesting details.
Firstly, Samsung is referring to the product as “Galaxy Ring” within the app. This confirms the long-rumored name of the device. The Korean firm has already trademarked this name. It has also filed trademarks for several other monikers related to smart rings in recent months. But those appear to be for apps that will allow users to connect with the Galaxy Ring and monitor health data.
The Galaxy Ring should make its first official appearance in early 2024
The Galaxy Wearable app also confirmed that Samsung will release the Galaxy Rings “sometime in 2024.” While no precise date or month was found, there are rumors that the company plans to unveil the ring during the Galaxy S24 launch. More importantly, the new flagships are rumored to arrive in January next year. A market release of the Galaxy Ring may come a few months later pending regulatory approvals and medical clearances.
Like other wearable devices, Samsung will release a separate plug-in app for the Galaxy Ring. It will pair with the Galaxy Wearable app to give users more control over the ring via their smartphones. Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds lineups also have separate plug-in apps, with each new generation getting its own app. 9to5Google found strings confirming Bluetooth connectivity and in-app messages/pop-ups for the Galaxy Ring’s plug-in.
Spec details and features of the Galaxy Ring are still missing, but the pieces are slowly coming together. We may soon get to know more about the first-gen Samsung smart ring. The company wants to offer a comprehensive health monitoring device with better accuracy than smartwatches. It may cannibalize the sales of the Galaxy Watch lineup, but the Korean firm may find a way to make its wrist wearables and the Galaxy Ring complement each other.