Samsung has begun work on a health tracking ring

Samsung’s smart ring will be able to track the health of its wearer in real time and control devices wirelessly

Given the measurement capabilities of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the processing power of which is contained in a body of 45mm in circumference, it’s amazing to imagine a ring being able to compute the same data in a much smaller form factor.

The first known patent submission for a Samsung smart ring was from way back in 2015, after Apple initially stirred up the scene with its own submission for a smart ring patent, even though it’s yet to be realized as an actual product.

Ever since then, Samsung has been updating its own patents throughout the years, with the last one being from this July. One of the more interesting features listed in that document is the ability of the ring to wirelessly control other electronic devices.

One of Samsung’s earlier patent entries from last October showcased the device being able to change the slides of a digital presentation on a laptop, but that’s about all we can infer from the information available right now.

Another clue available in the documents from October showcases several ideas of how the ring may be wirelessly charged by other devices, such as a smartphone or a computer mouse. By simply holding a Galaxy Phone (thanks to reverse wireless charging) or laying one’s hand on a mouse (we assume — Samsung-made), the tiny device would be able to get some juice back into its tank.

The thing with rings is that they are rather small. As such, wireless charging is a feature that is expected to be present. Given the size of the accessory, the possible requirement of a charging port would cost too much real estate, which may be utilized in better ways.



Now all that being said, it’s not completely clear if all of the patent submissions are building up into a single ring to rule them all or are configurations meant to represent separate products altogether.

Samsung’s patent submission history can be traced back to features such as physical buttons and screens on the ring itself. The latest sketch shows that the design is evolving, and as such the final product will likely include only essential features.

Samsung’s lineup of smart accessories has a solid track record of improvement and innovation. It’s truly astonishing to imagine that the same level of quality and utility may fit into just a small ring. It’s not hard to admit - the Samsung Galaxy Ring has a nice… ring to it.