One of the most anticipated smart devices of the year is Samsung’s first foray into the smart ring space, the Galaxy Ring . I tried it earlier this year and was excited about the launch, and a few weeks ago the company finally announced it along with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 And Galaxy Z Flip 6 .
Samsung has gone to great lengths to highlight the benefits of the Galaxy Ring when paired with a Galaxy Watch Ultra or Samsung phone. Samsung’s media briefing said that you’ll need a Galaxy phone for some of the AI-based features, and Samsung’s own store confirms this.
As it turns out, however, that’s not entirely true.
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Using Galaxy Ring with a non-Galaxy phone
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I love the Motorola Razr Plus, but unfortunately Motorola doesn’t make a smart ring. If you’re like me and looking for the best smart ring available, your attention is probably drawn to the Galaxy Ring. I’m currently wearing two Galaxy Rings for various tests. One of them is paired with a non-Galaxy smartphone, and the results were as expected: there’s little to no difference when using it with a Galaxy phone or a non-Galaxy phone.
In fact, sleep reports were nearly identical on both rings during a week of testing. The differences are due to the ring size and the finger it was worn on, not pairing with a Galaxy phone.
This is not surprising, however, as Samsung confirmed that most of the features would work fine, but there was an expectation that the AI-based features would require a Galaxy phone.
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So you need a Galaxy phone for the AI features?
AI does not judge your phone choice
In addition to some of the core elements of the Samsung Health ecosystem – incredibly detailed sleep reports, active heart rate tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, and activity counting – the Galaxy Ring has two special features powered by Galaxy AI.
The first of these is the Energy Score, a new feature – at least for Samsung – that allows you to quantify your well-being. It combines many of the basic Samsung Health features and offers a numerical value from 1 to 100 that indicates how ready you are for the day. It is similar to the Readiness Score of the Oura Ring and in my tests both rings produced very similar results.
The second AI feature is Wellness Tips. After Samsung Health learns about you, your body, and your habits, it will use AI to provide tips on how to improve your health. I expected this feature to require a Galaxy phone, but as it turns out, none of the AI features require one.
When I started testing, I assumed that the size 10 Galaxy Ring I paired with my Motorola Razr Plus wouldn’t receive the Wellness Tips or Energy Score features that use Galaxy AI.
I got an energy reading after the first night, and within a few days Samsung Health was also giving me AI-powered wellness tips to help me improve my overall health. Overall, everything worked exactly as I expected.
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So does the Galaxy Ring work perfectly with a non-Galaxy phone?
Almost perfect, with one limitation
Not quite. One thing I did notice, however, is that the Galaxy Ring doesn’t sync as often with the Motorola Razr Plus as it does with the Galaxy Z Fold 6. More than once, the Galaxy Ring paired with the Razr Plus was several hours behind, while the other ring, paired with my Z Fold 6, was up to date more often.
I tested the same ring with a OnePlus 12 and got the same result, so I suspect this is a benefit of using products in the same ecosystem. However, I don’t think this is such a big problem that I would suggest using a Galaxy phone with the Galaxy Ring. Instead, it’s something to watch out for when using the Galaxy Ring with a non-Galaxy phone.
Is it worth buying the Galaxy Ring?
If you want a smart ring, look no further
As detailed in our Galaxy Ring review, it’s a remarkably polished experience and the de facto smart ring of choice for Android devices. In my own testing, I came to the same conclusion that this doesn’t feel like a first-generation smart ring and Samsung has perfected the smart ring experience overall.
I was particularly struck by the battery life. My correct-sized Galaxy Ring – size 12, which I wear on my index finger – is currently fully charged after eight days and has 8% battery left. That means it should last nearly 9 days, which is far better than the battery life of up to seven days that Samsung publicly promises.
The smaller ring sizes are rated to last up to six days, however, and my size 10 ring lasted 5 days and 19 hours, so battery life will depend on your activity and usage. The Galaxy Ring also comes with a portable charging case that offers up to 1.5x more battery life, so it should last at least two weeks on a single charge.
The Galaxy Ring is one of the most sophisticated first-generation products I’ve tried in a long time. If you’re interested in smart rings, there’s little reason not to buy one, especially since it works with any Android phone. Combined with the impressive feature set, this is one of the best smart rings You can buy immediately.
Nirave is the creator, evangelist and founder of House of Tech. A heart attack at the age of 33 inspired him to publish the Impact of Tech Newsletterthat explores the best technology and its impact on mental, physical and emotional health. For more, follow him on Instagram, ÞjórsárdalurAnd LinkedIn.
