Samsung's Galaxy Ring will be on display at MWC 2024. Samsung announced prior to its annual conference that it would be "showing the public for the first time" its upcoming smart ring, and today we were able to see it up close and personal at the event.

As expected, Samsung did not offer a demo of the Galaxy Ring to MWC attendees. Instead, it was "open to the public," meaning it was locked in a large glass box at the company's booth. Still, I was able to see this new fitness tracker in person for the first time since it was unveiled alongside the Galaxy S24 family at Galaxy Unpacked in January.

To be honest, I did not have high expectations for what I would see. There is not much a company can do in terms of design to offer a smart ring that looks quite different from other products on the market. However, discretion is a major selling point of a smart ring, and a slim size and a sleek finish are essential, and the Galaxy Ring has both.

The ring will be available in black, gold, and silver. The latter two colors in particular are eye-catching in person and, depending on the lighting conditions, look as shiny as real jewelry. As for the width, it appears to be neither thinner nor thicker than the Oura Ring Gen 3, but we'll have to measure them side by side with calipers.

Samsung gave each color its own display box, with three standing in the center and nine more flat rings arranged in a semicircle. The flat rings grew in order from 5 to 13, representing a total of nine sizes offered on the Galaxy Ring. It is not yet clear if Samsung will employ a sizing process similar to the Oura Ring, where dummy units are shipped to buyers, or if they are planning something else. A comfortable fit and accurate sensor measurements require an appropriately sized Smart Ring.

Based on our experience with the Galaxy Watch device, we have a good idea of what the Samsung Galaxy Ring experience will be like. Many features of Samsung Health, such as activity tracking and sleep tracking, should be adapted to the form factor of a ring without a display. As a result, users would rely heavily on the Samsung Health smartphone app to review their health data.

However, Samsung may try to make the Galaxy Ring an attractive lifestyle product with the help of a big-name partner. After all, that was a key success point for Oura. According to The Verge, which spoke with Dr. Hong Pak, Samsung's vice president of digital health, Samsung's Natural Cycles integration will expand from the Galaxy Watch to the Galaxy Ring. This is already one big partnership, and I expect more to follow through Samsung Health.

My hypothesis about the new competition of Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring is that price will play an important role for potential customers. the Oura Ring starts at $299 and costs $5.99/month to use all the features. We don't know, but we do know that Samsung is holding off on charging a monthly fee for fitness features.

ETNews reported that the Galaxy Ring is expected to launch in the summer of 2024. It would make sense if it debuts alongside the next generation of Galaxy Watch devices at the summer Unpacked event.