Samsung has been showing off its Galaxy Ring wearable sensor multiple times ahead of its Unpacked 2024 event, taking place on July 10 in Paris. At Unpacked, the company is expected to announce upgraded foldable devices like the Galaxy Fold 6 and Galaxy Flip 6, as well as wearables like the Galaxy Watch and Ring. Now, the tech giant has filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for what could be a future version of the Galaxy Ring.
The patent application, VS-20240156218-A1describes a “ring-type wearable device,” with an outer unit that has a square shape on top, and sensors on the inner surface that come into contact with a wearer’s finger and pick up things like temperature, fingerprint, blood pressure, electrocardiogram readings of the heart, and galvanic skin responses, which can help determine stress and how a wearer responds to physical activity. The application, reported about Earlier, Indian gadget magazine 91 Mobiles also suggested display units that could be attached to the sides of the ring, allowing someone to use the ring as a remote control for another device.
Samsung has not yet responded to a request for comment on how the technologies in the patent application could apply to the company’s future plans for its Galaxy Ring wearables.
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Samsung’s continued efforts with the Galaxy Ring show how serious the company is about its new initiatives in wearables technology, and especially with this new type of smart ring.
Other companies have offered various wearables over the years, including the $299 Oura Ring, which Samsung filed a lawsuit against preventive patent case in July. Until now, Samsung had largely followed Google and Apple’s approach of selling smartwatch wearables with built-in health sensors. That changed when the company began previewing its Galaxy Ring, a physically smaller device with a better battery and a less flashy look than typical smartwatches.
Samsung’s investment in the Galaxy Ring is also part of the company’s larger efforts to focus on health and artificial intelligence features for its upcoming products as a way to differentiate itself from rivals and encourage people to upgrade. The company has told investors that it plans to integrate AI technologies into “premium” smartwatches and wearables in particular, betting that the data collected by health sensors will be valuable enough to customers that they become a normal part of daily life, much as smartphones and their messaging features are today.
One of the elements that has helped make smart rings more popular is that they’re much smaller than smartwatches, which some people find bulky and nerdy. Samsung has offered other designs to counter this perception, with round smartwatches instead of Apple’s square designs. (Apple is also reportedly developing upgrades that feature thinner designs paired with more attractive displays.)
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Smart rings have become a more attractive alternative for some people as companies work to reduce the size of their smartwatches. While thicker than regular rings, smart rings are less physically obtrusive than a smartwatch, making them easier for owners to wear while sleeping, bathing, or working out.
While Samsung’s new patent filings put a new spin on the smart ring design, the company currently appears prepared to show off its more circular Galaxy Ring at its event in Paris on Wednesday. Follow CNET’s coverage, including livestreams, video replays, and exclusive perspectives from us.
