Samsung to unveil its first Galaxy Ring at MWC 2024

BARCELONA - Samsung Electronics Co. is set to unveil its new health biometric tracker Galaxy Ring at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The move aligns to its push to lead a new era of AI-powered wearables that are more convenient and measure health data more precisely, the South Korean company said on Sunday.   

Samsung’s first Galaxy Ring can be conveniently worn every day, even while sleeping, and can measure granular data as its inner surface wraps around the finger. The new device will be launched in the second half of this year, Samsung said.

The ring will be available in three colors — black, gold and silver — with nine sizes per color. Samsung will announce the design, color and size information at the global mobile tech exhibition on Feb. 26, following a preview of the device at the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, California, last month.   

Compared with the Galaxy Watch, the ring is smaller to make it easier to wear over a longer time. The ring can measure detailed health data because it wraps around the finger, said TM Roh, head of Mobile eXperience (MX) division at Samsung.

At MWC in Barcelona, visitors won’t be allowed to test the ring, however; the device will be displayed in a transparent case for security reasons.

With its new Galaxy Ring, Samsung will challenge Apple Inc. on another front as the iPhone maker will likely unveil its first smart ring later this year, industry insiders say. Apple’s product can detect distance and movement between objects and recognize skin, according to sources.  

AI-DRIVEN CONNECTIVITY  

Samsung will also introduce data-driven healthcare software such as My Vitality Score and Booster Card.  

My Vitality Score provides a personalized healthcare guide based on the user’s sleep, physical activity, heart rate and changes in heart rate. The Booster Card helps users improve their health by tracking predefined goals and delivering actionable insights.

The electronics giant will showcase SmartThings, a software for seamless connections among appliances. The software controls home lighting to provide for better sleep and alerts such as reminders to take medicine. It also allows users to measure their heart rate and calories burned in real time as the user follows a fitness video on a connected TV.

The company will also showcase the AI features of its news smartphone Galaxy S24, such as searching for real-time information, summarizing lengthy documents and translating them on the phone. At MWC, visitors will be able to try out the AI features of the Galaxy S23 and S23 FE, which will be updated next month.
 
In addition, Samsung will introduce AI-powered next-generation network solutions for telecom service providers in the US and Europe.

Such solutions will be used for network automation, which supports optimized resource deployment and operational efficiency through data analysis; energy saving based on AI; and improved operation and connectivity of 5G telecom base stations.   

Write to Ji-Eun Jeong at jeong@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.