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During the Galaxy S24 Unpacked event, Samsung pulled a "one more thing" stunt out of the blue and teased a smart health tracker in an "alternative" form factor. Instead of announcing the Galaxy Ring with all of its health or fitness features and a release date, like it did for the phones, it chose to mysteriously throw the idea out there for some reason.
All the Galaxy S24 preorder deals are now active, and the S24+ or S24 Ultra are all available to buy with free storage upgrades and generous trade offers over at Samsung, but the Galaxy Ring just remained up in the air, what gives?
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There could be several reasons that made Samsung chose the January Unpacked event for the Galaxy S24 series to throw its hat in the (smart) ring. It has been rumored for a while to be preparing a new health tracker with this intriguing form factor and even has patents and Health app logs hinting at its features. So why now and why just a tease?
There was nothing else to announce
With the Galaxy Book 4 series unveiled at the CES 2024 expo in Las Vegas a few days back, and foldables, tablets, or smartwatches reserved for the summer, Samsung may have simply thought to add the Galaxy Ring tease to the mix during an event where it wouldn't get lost in all the announcement noise.
Granted, the Galaxy S-line is its flagship series of phones and there were enough S24 hardware and AI upgrades to keep the Samsung fan's attention busy during the keynote presentation, yet it knew that most of the design and specs have been leaked already.
Moreover, Samsung does grand design changes to its top series of phones every three years or so, and 2024 is not one of those times, so it may be trying to preempt the inevitable impression for an iterative upgrade of a somewhat bland mix of phones whose specs and features are mostly a known commodity.
One more thing?
In that train of thought, Samsung's Galaxy Ring tease reminds of Apple's similar "One more thing!" stunts during its earlier announcement days, which was kept for exclusive and exciting devices or features. If Samsung was trying to mimic the "one more thing" approach, it worked, as, first, it created a lot of buzz around the Galaxy Ring, this piece included, and, second, it simply doesn't use device teasers all that often, if at all.
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All that remains now is for Samsung to actually deliver the smart ring, and it would've already beaten Apple's AirPower vaporware. Given that Samsung is teasing it at its first Unpacked event for 2024, the Galaxy Ring release date could very well coincide with that of the devices it keeps for its other big Unpacked festivity in the summer.
Actually, according to local media, Samsung decided to release its new Galaxy Ring health and fitness tracker together with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, just as it delivers its other wearables. Does that mean there won't be a Galaxy Watch 7 in the summer? It remains to be seen, but the smart ring is a brand new form factor that is an either/or proposition.
Regulatory approval
The Galaxy Ring is rumored to come in four sizes to fit different finger types, and, given Wednesday's tease, Samsung may have already decided on the health and fitness tracking functions that will go into it. If those require regulatory approvals like some Galaxy Watch functions, that would explain why Samsung may be ready with the design and features, but will have to wait for the FDA or other federal entities to test it and give it their stamp of approval as a medical device.
This process takes quite a lot of time and, instead of waiting for the regulatory gods to say their heavy word after the release, Samsung may have simply opted to wait and release the Galaxy Ring with all the bells and whistles. The next round of regulatory approvals, however, is not before the fall, so if Samsung wants to launch the Galaxy Ring this summer together with the Z Fold 6, it should've already gone through the process.
Competition: smart rings and... Apple?
Last but not least, Samsung may be keeping an eye on the competition in the health tracker field. While the Galaxy Ring will be a new form factor for Samsung, it is not for other competitors and it may be willing to sacrifice some surprise for the sake of postponing a purchase from the wearable's direct competitors like Oura, Ultrahuman or Circular.
The Oura ring in brushed titanium
According to Korean industry insiders, the Galaxy Ring may have been concocted as a way to take more accurate vitals than the Galaxy Watch on account of the fact that it offers a much closer fit around a finger than a Galaxy Watch on the wrist.
Apple has filed a number of smart ring patents as well, and Samsung allegedly wants to position the Galaxy Ring as an accessory to extended reality devices similar to the Apple Vision Pro headset that is launching next month and may usher in an AR/VR craze that has eluded many others. It remains to be seen what others will do with their headsets or smart wearables after Samsung's stunt, but it certainly had a good reason to preempt it all with the Galaxy Ring tease at the Galaxy S24 event.
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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