While smart rings may seem similar on the surface, given the form factor, they pack a wealth of data. I, as your friendly, techy big sister, dug deeper into the features, functions, and accuracy of the two newest smart rings on the market– the Oura Ring 4 and the Galaxy Ring by Samsung.
To help you choose one, I break down which smart ring naturally fits into my lifestyle and, hopefully, yours too.
Specifications
| Specifications | Oura Ring 4 | Samsung Galaxy Ring |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 3.3-5.2g | 2.3-3g |
| Sizes | 12 sizes (4-15) | 9 sizes (5-13) |
| Sizing kit | Yes, free | Yes, $10 put towards the cost of the ring |
| Colors | 6 colors – Silver, Black, Stealth, Brushed Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold | 3 colours – Black, Silver and Gold |
| Dimensions | 7.9mm wide, 2.8mm thickness | 7mm wide, 2.6mm thickness |
| Memory | N/A | 8MB |
| Battery sizes | N/A | 18mAh – 25.3mAh |
| Battery life | Up to 8 days | Up to 6 days (sizes 5-11), up to 7 days (sizes 12-13) |
| Charge time | 80 mins | 80 mins |
| Charger | Size-specific charger with USB cable | Portable charging case with USB-C cable |
| Material | Titanium with a titanium inner shell | Grade 5 titanium |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth LE | Bluetooth LE 5.4 |
| Water resistance | 100m/328ft | 10ATM, IP68 |
| Operating Temperature | -10–54 ºC / 14–129 ºF | 0°C to 35°C |
| Dustproof | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible OS | iOS and Android | Android 11.0 and above |
| Warranty | 1 – 2 years | 1 year |
| Price | Starting $349 | $399.99 |
| Subscription | $5.99 USD/month | Free |
Features
| Features | Oura Ring 4 | Samsung Galaxy Ring |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Heart rate variability | ✅ | ✅ |
| Respiratory rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sleep latency | ✅ | ✅ |
| Movement during sleep | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sleep pattern | ✅ | ✅ |
| Snoring analysis | ❌ | ✅ |
| Stress Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Resilience | ✅ | ❌ |
| Skin temperature | ✅ | ✅ |
| Find My Ring | ✅ (iOS) | ✅ |
| Sleep score | ✅ | ✅ |
| Activity and workout tracking | ✅ | ✅ (walking and running) |
| Activity Heart Rate | ✅ | ❌ |
| Calorie tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Steps | ✅ | ✅ |
| Energy score/Readiness Score | ✅ | ✅ |
| Low and high heart rate alerts | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cycle tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fertility Window | ✅ | ✅ (cycle phases) |
| Pregnancy Insights | ✅ | ❌ |
| SpO2 | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gesture control | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cardiovascular Age (CVA) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Body Clock | ✅ | ❌ |
Design, Size, and Comfort
While the design of both the rings, Oura Ring 4 and Galaxy Ring, is fairly similar, the thickness of the two is significantly different. Samsung Galaxy Ring is slimmer and has a concave outer body, whereas the Oura Ring 4 has a slightly thicker band with recessed sensors.
The thickness is noticeable, though the Galaxy Ring being slightly lighter didn’t make much difference to me. There are no sensor bumps on the Galaxy Ring, either. But only because of the thickness, the Galaxy Ring is more comfortable than the Oura Ring 4.
I’m spoilt for choice when it comes to colors and finishes of the Oura Ring 4 with six variations, but it does come with an added cost. The Galaxy Ring, on the other hand, comes in only three colors, with no extra cost for a specific color choice.
Oura has expanded its range to probably one of the vastest spectrum of sizes I’ve seen for a smart ring. They truly took the feedback and expanded their sizes from 8 sizes they provided in their Gen3 to a whopping 12 sizes (4-15) for the Ring 4.
Galaxy Ring provides 9 sizes, ranging from 5-13, which is not a bad start considering it’s their first stride into the smart ring space. Both rings come with their sizing kits since none of them follow standard US ring sizes.
Battery
For a person who often forgets to charge her devices, good battery life is definitely something that influences my purchase decision because I don’t wanna be stuck to a cord every other day.
This has clearly been addressed by the Galaxy Ring with its 6-day battery life for my ring size, which I know is not a lot, but here’s the kicker– the charger is a portable case that holds 1.5x the charge, keeping it at almost 16 days of battery without needing to look for a power outlet.
The LED on the case also makes it easier to see how much charge the ring has without pulling out my phone, and it makes it so much easier to carry my ring along for a trip.
The Oura Ring 4 has evolved its battery life to up to 8 days, which is one day more than the previous generation. The Gen3 used to last me 6 days, so I’m guessing I’ll get a 7-day battery life on the Ring 4. Better than the Galaxy Ring, but the letdown is the charger.
Listen, I’m all for innovation and forging your own path, but Oura really should’ve taken inspiration from Samsung on their chargers. The charger upgrade in Ring 4 from Gen3 only has a change in shape and color, which doesn’t do much for me. I would’ve loved a charging case for my Oura Ring for its easy portability and wireless charging while on the go.
Accuracy
The accuracy of wearable devices depends on the sensors they use as well as the background noises they receive. Oura has stepped up its game with ‘Smart Sensing’, which promises–
- 7% fewer gaps in daytime heart rate graphs,
- 31% fewer gaps in nighttime heart rate graphs,
- 120% signal quality improvement, and
- 15% more accuracy in BDI (breathing disturbance index).
While there have been no studies conducted on the Samsung Galaxy Ring, a scientific review by Rob ter Horst, concludes the questionable accuracy of data recorded by the Galaxy Ring.
Mind you, I’m not just going by what others are saying; this has also been my personal experience with the Galaxy Ring, which you will read about in more detail under sleep, activity, and period tracking.
Sensors
| Oura Ring 4 | Samsung Galaxy Ring |
|---|---|
| Red and infrared LEDs measure blood oxygen levels while you sleep | Accelerometer |
| Green and infrared LEDs alternate to measure heart rate and heart rate variability 24/7 and respiration rate during your sleep | Optical Heart Rate Sensor |
| Digital sensor measures your temperature variations | Temperature Sensor |
| Accelerometer tracks movement and activity 24/7 |
Sleep Tracking
As if sleep tracking wasn’t already Oura’s USP, as established above, the Ring 4 will pack even more consistency and accuracy in nighttime heart rate tracking. Could it be any better? I’ve raved about Oura’s sleep-tracking abilities for a really long time, and it’s only going to get better with the Ring 4.
The sleep metrics calculated are the same as Gen3, just displayed in a cleaner app redesign. The sleep stages, duration, time, latency, and more are crunched up in a sleep score. These metrics have become a gold standard for me overtime by being so accurate to how I feel.
The same goes for the Galaxy Ring, with a sleep score based off of metrics calculated during sleep, such as total sleep time, sleep stages, movement during sleep, and snoring analysis. Yes, the only difference between the two trackers is that the Galaxy Ring provides a snoring analysis while the Oura Ring 4 doesn’t.
But because I haven’t had a stroke of good luck with the Galaxy Ring’s sleep tracking so far, I don’t see how helpful this one extra feature would be. Galaxy Ring has a long way to go before its sleep tracking comes close to Oura’s, especially with the Smart Sensing in Ring 4.
Activity Tracking
Although a smart ring has never been my preferred choice to track workouts, there is a major difference between the two rings we are comparing today.
The Oura already has automatic activity detection, though not the best; they recognized this paint point in their new Ring 4 and have introduced additional activities in their automatic detection. These are separate from the library of workouts, which I can add manually via the app.
This update comes along with tracking heart rate zones while performing these activities, which is a huge improvement from the regular heart rate recorded by Oura’s previous generations, which were severely affected by the movement of the hands.
Unfortunately, this is still how the Galaxy Ring tracks heart rate, which is obviously highly inaccurate while working out. The Galaxy Ring can also only track two activities automatically– walking and running.
Everything else has to be manually added via the app with no use since the heart rate recorded during my activities is much lower than how I actually feel.
Period Tracking
Being a girl with ten tabs open in my brain at all times, the least my wearables can do is leave me stress-free about my periods. Enter— the smart rings.
I’ve been testing out the Galaxy Ring’s cycle tracking and how it compares to the Oura Ring. While no device can be perfect, and I have to log in my period dates manually on both these rings, Oura packs a lot more data than the Galaxy Ring.
With predicted period dates and cycle phases, the Oura Ring 4, along with the update on the app, will provide a fertility window and insights into the chances of conception. This update, combined with the already dead-accurate predictions my Oura ring already gave for my period dates, makes me really excited for the update.
These predictions can further be solidified by syncing with Natural Cycles for an additional subscription, of course. The Galaxy Ring, however, provides predictions for period dates, fertile window, cycle phases, and ovulation, powered by Natural Cycles because of their longstanding partnership with Samsung.
The advantage goes to Galaxy Ring for packing the benefits of Oura with Natural Cycles, without any added subscription.
Price and Availability
Let me just start by saying subscription costs are a letdown for me. This is where the Galaxy Ring shines with a no-subscription model. Oura, on the other hand, is useless without a subscription. I pay $5.99/month, and I got the first month free, but that’s about it.
The Oura Ring also starts at $349 as opposed to the Galaxy Ring at $399.99. However, there is no difference in cost if I choose a different color with the Galaxy Ring, and the cost goes up to $499 for the rose gold color on Oura Ring 4.
Final Verdict
If you have an iPhone like I do, the choice is set in stone— Oura Ring 4 all the way! Unless Samsung really steps up its accuracy game, it’s not enough to sway me into buying an Android just for the Galaxy Ring.
The Galaxy Ring, despite the enticing no-subscription model, is compatible with Android phones only. By further limiting their AI-based wellness tips to Samsung Galaxy phone users, they have downsized their customer base further.
