Samsung Is Already Working on the Next-Gen Galaxy Ring Ahead of Unpacked
The tech giant appears to be experimenting with a more square-shaped ring as a follow-up to its first version.
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy ring is rounded, but a future version could find that it's hip to be square.
Samsung has previewed its Galaxy Ring wearable sensor several times ahead of its Unpacked 2024 event, which is set for July 10 in Paris. During Unpacked, the company is expected to announce upgraded foldables, such as the Galaxy Fold 6 and Galaxy Flip 6, as well as wearables, like the Galaxy Watch and Ring. Now the tech giant has filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for what could be a future iteration of the Galaxy Ring.
The patent application, US-20240156218-A1, describes a "ring-type wearable device," with an outer unit that has a squarelike shape on top, and sensors on the interior surface that would come in contact with a wearer's finger and pick up on things like temperature, fingerprint, blood pressure, electrocardiogram measurements of the heart, and galvanic skin response, which can help determine stress and how a wearer is responding to physical activity. The application, reported on previously by Indian gadget publication 91 Mobiles, also proposed display units attached to the sides of the ring, creating the potential for someone to use the ring as a remote control for another device.
Samsung didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on how the technologies in the patent application might apply to the company's future plans for its Galaxy Ring wearables.
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Samsung's ongoing efforts with its Galaxy Ring indicate how serious the company is about its new initiatives around wearable tech, and especially this new type of smart ring.
Other companies have offered various wearables over the years, including the $299 Oura Ring, against which Samsung filed a preemptive patent suit in July. Until now, Samsung had largely stuck to Google's and Apple's approach of selling smartwatch wearables that offer built-in health sensors. That changed when the company began previewing its Galaxy Ring, a physically smaller device that offers better battery life and a less conspicuous look than typical smartwatches.
Samsung's investments in the Galaxy Ring are also part of the company's larger efforts to focus on health and artificial intelligence features for its upcoming products, as a way to stand out from rivals and encourage people to upgrade. The company has told investors that it intends to integrate AI technologies in particular into "premium" smartwatches and wearables, betting that the data that health sensors collect will be valuable enough for customers that wearables become a normal part of everyday life, just like smartphones and their messaging features are today.
One of the elements that's helped smart rings grow in popularity is their much smaller size compared with smartwatches, which some people consider bulky and nerdy looking. Samsung has offered other smartwatch designs to counter this perception, fielding circular smartwatches rather than Apple's square-ish designs. (Apple is also reportedly developing upgrades with thinner designs paired with more appealing screens.)
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Smart rings have started offering a more compelling alternative for some people while companies work to reduce the bulk in their smartwatches. While smart rings are thicker than normal rings, they remain less physically obtrusive than smartwatches, allowing owners to more easily wear them when sleeping, bathing or working out.
Though Samsung's new patent application offers a novel spin on the smart ring design, the company appears prepared to show off its more circular Galaxy Ring at its Paris event on Wednesday. Follow along with CNET's coverage, including livestreams, video replays and perspective you can get only from us.