Practically 4 months after launching the Galaxy Ring, Samsung determined to convey the wearable to India. The Galaxy Ring is now on sale within the nation, and it prices ₹38,999 ($465), $65 greater than what it retails for within the U.S. To place issues into context, the Galaxy Ring prices ₹2,000 ($25) greater than the LTE-enabled variant of the 45mm Galaxy Watch 7, which could be purchased for ₹36,999 ($442) proper now.
I do not actually perceive who Samsung is concentrating on with its sensible ring, and whereas the Galaxy Ring marks the model’s introduction into a brand new section, I do not suppose the model is prone to discover many takers in India. The Galaxy Ring prices an excessive amount of within the nation, and there is additionally the small matter of it not being an excellent product. Samsung says the price of its merchandise are decided by advertising and marketing after due analysis, however the truth stays that the Galaxy Ring has a hefty premium over its rivals.
Indian clients are typically tech-savvy usually — a by-product of the inhabitants skewing youthful — and whereas Samsung has an enormous userbase within the nation, there’s simply not sufficient on supply with the Galaxy Ring to entice many consumers. The sensible ring is ready to observe each day exercise and sleep, however the accuracy of the info is in keeping with a finances health band, and does not measure as much as common smartwatches — the Galaxy Watch 7 does a significantly better job at nearly each metric.
The important thing differentiator of the Galaxy Ring is that it is an “invisible” wearable; it is not as cumbersome to put on as a smartwatch whereas nonetheless delivering helpful well being and exercise metrics. If Samsung got here out with the Galaxy Ring two years in the past, then it will have been a special scenario, as a result of because it stands, there are higher merchandise that provide the identical options and do not price wherever as a lot.
I am keen on the Ultrahuman Ring Air. I wore the sensible ring by most of 2024, and whereas health monitoring is inconsistent, it constantly delivered usable insights. And coming in at ₹25,469 ($305) as of writing, it considerably undercuts the Galaxy Ring. Noise is a dominant model in India’s finances wearable section, and it has the Luna Ring; it is not significantly nice, but when all you want is a brilliant ring that exhibits exercise knowledge, it’s a respectable alternative — and it is simply ₹21,999 ($263).
Each merchandise have their shortcomings, and if you would like a sensible ring with correct exercise monitoring, Amazfit’s Helio Ring is accessible in India for ₹24,999 ($300). My colleagues did intensive testing of sensible rings, and the Helio Ring’s coronary heart fee measurements proved to be essentially the most constant of the lot.
Samsung touts the seamless integration with different Galaxy units, however proper now, you do not get a lot in the way in which of options. And whereas the model positions AI as a differentiator, it does not do sufficient with the fundamentals to make it stand out.
It is telling, then, that the Galaxy Ring is offered out in sizes eight by 13 just some days after availability — Samsung seemingly introduced a really restricted stock of sensible rings to the nation. It is clear that sensible rings are set to develop into a brand new income driver for the model, and I am crossing my fingers {that a} second-gen mannequin of the Galaxy Band does extra to justify the asking worth.
