The Samsung Galaxy Ring is already sold out on Samsung’s online store, but a new competing smart ring has softened the blow with a tempting pre-order offer.
We already reviewed the RingConn Smart Ring as a solid alternative to the Oura Ring and Samsung’s new smart ring . And now the Gen 2 version of the RingConn is available for pre-order for just $199 (around £155 / AU$295) ahead of its full Kickstarter release in early August.
To take advantage of this super early bird discount, you must subscribe to the RingConn newsletter on the Gen 2 product page. You will then receive a link to a reservation page, where you will need to make a $1 deposit to reserve your super early bird discount.
When the Gen 2 Smart Ring launches in August, you’ll be sent a purchase link to buy the smart ring, ahead of its expected September shipping date. It’s a slightly convoluted process, but considering the Galaxy Ring costs $399 / £399 (around AU$750), it could be worth it if you’re after a cheaper ring with features like sleep apnea monitoring.
All the usual Kickstarter caveats apply, of course, and we haven’t yet reviewed this particular model. But our original RingConn Smart Ring review called it “a solid alternative to the Oura smart ring,” and like Samsung’s ring, you don’t have to worry about a subscription plan.
What’s new in Gen 2?
Considering the first generation RingConn Smart Ring is currently 25% off at Amazon With the Prime Day deals (which drop the price from $279 to $209), you might be wondering if it’s worth waiting a few months for the Gen 2 version, even though it costs less than the original model in this super early bird deal.
There certainly won’t be a huge difference between the two rings. The Gen 2 version is marginally thinner and lighter (weighing 2-3g) and has a new glossier coating for the black, silver and gold colours.
Perhaps the two biggest upgrades are the claimed battery life (now up to 12 days, up from its predecessor’s seven days) and the new sleep apnea tracking. RingConn claims its Gen 2 ring can detect the sleep-disrupting issue with 90% accuracy, in addition to its other sleep-tracking skills.
Our testing found that there were some minor syncing and performance issues with the original version’s iOS and Android apps, but our review did find that the app “collects a lot of accurate data for less than most competitors.”
If it can repeat that trick, the Gen 2 could certainly become a worthy alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Ring, and the best smart rings yet. But we’ll reserve final judgment until we’ve tested the two fully side-by-side, of course.
