Ultrahuman Ring Air vs Samsung Galaxy Ring: Which should you buy?

The

smart
ring
arena
continues
to
heat
up,
with
new
competitors
joining
the
scene
regularly.
The

Samsung
Galaxy
Ring
represents
one
of
the
first
finger-based
trackers
from
an
established
wearables
brand
and
offers
useful
integration
within
the
Samsung
ecosystem.
The

Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
enters
the
competition
with
a
lightweight
build
and
a
unique
user
experience.
To
dig
into
the
pros
and
cons
of
each
device
further,
we
compare
the
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
vs
Samsung
Galaxy
Ring.

At
a
glance,
both
Ultrahuman
and
Samsung
offer
shoppers
a
clean,
minimalist

fitness
tracker intended
to
blend
with
traditional
jewelry.
The
Air’s biggest
selling
point
is
that
it
really
is
comfortably
lightweight,
weighing
in
at
2.4
to
3.6
grams
(depending
on
your
size).
This
is
similar
to
the
Galaxy
Ring
despite
the
Air
being
slightly
wider.
I
do,
however,
find
the
Air
slightly
more
comfortable
thanks
to
the
smoother
interior
(less
bulbous
sensors).
The
device
is
available
in
five
colorways:
Raw
Titanium,
Aster
Black,
Matte
Gray,
Bionic
Gold,
and
Space
Silver.
It’s
also
available
in
sizes
6
through
12.

The
Galaxy
Ring
features
a
slightly
narrower
7mm
band
and
a
thin
2.6mm
build.
The
sides
of
the
ring
are
concave
to
create
a
sleeker
visual
impression.
The
device
is
available
in
Gold,
Silver,
and
Black
in
sizes
5
through
13.
Notably,
rumors
suggest
the
company
may
be
adding
two
additional
sizes
to
the
lineup
as
well.

Both
Samsung
and
Ultrahuman
utilize
sizing
kits
to
help
shoppers
purchase
the
correct
fit.
This
process
includes
trying
on
plastic
models
of
each
ring
size
to
determine
which
you
should
order
for
your
official
device.

The
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
and
Galaxy
Ring
both
track
a
host
of
useful
health
and
fitness
tracking
data,
including
heart
rate,
HRV,
stress,
sleep,
temperature,
and
SpO2
as
well
as
basics
like
steps,
distance,
and
calories.
The
devices
also
each
automatically
track
a
limited
number
of
workouts
though,
during
my
review
periods,
I
found
that
both
platforms
need
refinement
regarding
activity
tracking.

In
addition
to
collecting
all
the
usual
metrics,
the
Ultrahuman
companion
app
analyzes
users’
data
to
create
helpful
overarching
scores.
This
includes
a
comprehensive
sleep
index
and
movement
index
plus
a
dynamic
recovery
score
and
a
stress
rhythm
score.
These
scores,
as
well
as
personalized
sleep
and
activity
goals,
help
users
digest
their
data
and
provide
actionable
insights.
With
that
said,
the
app
is
not
entirely
approachable
and
can
feel
both
overwhelming
and
lacking
at
the
same
time.

Additional
features
of
the
app
include
access
to
workouts
and
educational
content,
the
ability
to
sync
the
Ring
Air
to the
brand’s
M1
monitor
for
metabolism
insights,
and
the
option
to
create friend
groups
within
the
Ultrahuman
app.
Headlining
the
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
experience
is
PowerPlugs,
an
app
store-like
platform
that
allows
users
to
access
additional
tools
and
features
ranging
from
AFib
detection
to
Cycle
Tracking
and
much
more.
Some
of
these
add-on
tools
are
free
while
others
require
a
fee.

The
Galaxy
Ring
collates
users’
data
in
Samsung
Health,
the
same
companion
app
used
by
the
Galaxy
Watch
lineup.
The
app
is
not
especially detailed
or
robust
but
Samsung
does
a
good
job
presenting
users
with
the
basics.
The
latest
improvements
to
the
Samsung
ecosystem
include
a
new
metric
titled
Energy
score,
which
leans
toward
a
more
holistic
approach
to
wellness
tracking,
and
additions
to
the
platform’s
sleep-tracking
offerings.
With
a
Samsung
phone,
Galaxy
Ring
users
can
also
access
Samsung’s
AI-generated
Wellness
Tips.

In
fact,
the
Galaxy
Ring
offers
a
particularly
solid
experience
to
users
with
a
Galaxy
phone
or
Galaxy
Watch,
as
many
of
the
ring’s
features
can
only
be
used
within
the
Samsung
Galaxy
ecosystem.
For
example,
Galaxy
phone
users
can
rely
on
the
ring’s
double
pinch
gesture
to
control
their
phone’s
camera
and
dismiss
alarms.
They
can
also
use
Samsung
Find
My
to
locate
the
ring
and
to
flash
its
LED
lights.
Galaxy
Watch
users
can
wear
their
ring
and
watch
simultaneously
and
the
Samsung
Health
app
will
automatically
combine
all
metrics
recorded.
It
will
also
prioritize
which
sensors
to
record
data
from
to
stretch
battery
life
up
to
30%.

My
favorite
distinguishing
feature
of
the
Samsung
Galaxy
Ring
compared
to
the
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
is
the
device’s
charging
case.
The
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
powers
up
on
a
cradle-style
charging
puck
with
a
USB-C
cable.
The
Galaxy
Ring,
on
the
other
hand,
utilizes
a clamshell
charging
case,
which
features
a
built-in
battery
of
its
own.
Without
an
outlet
nearby,
the
case
can
charge
the
Galaxy
Ring
from
0
to
100%
1.5
times
before
needing
to
charge
back
up
itself.
This
means
easier
charging
on
the
go. Though
the
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
claims
up
to
six
days
of
battery
life
between
charges, the
ring
lasted
under
four
days
during
my
review.
Unfortunately,
the
Galaxy
Ring
also
fell
short
of
its
claim,
landing
at
about
the
same
4-day
limit.

Technically,
both
Samsung
and
Ultrahuman
offer
smart
ring
experiences
sans
subscriptions
(at
least
for
now),
but
both
have
fairly
expensive
asking
prices.
The
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
runs
shoppers
$349
at
check
out,
with
the
option
to
add
a
personal
engraving
to
for
an
extra
$39.
The
Galaxy
Ring
is
available
for
a
pricey
one-time
fee
of
$399.
This
is
certainly
expensive,
especially
compared
to
the
company’s
full-fledged
smartwatches
which
offer
a
more
robust
experience.
The
Air
and
Galaxy
Ring
are
available
directly
from
Ultrahuman.com
and
Samsung.com
respectively,
as
well
as
from
third-party
retailers
such
as
Amazon.
As
mentioned,
the
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
features
the
PowerPlugs
platform
with
additional
tools
available
for
an
added
fee.
Rumors
also
suggest
that
the
Galaxy
Ring
may
not
remain
a
subscription-free
device
indefinitely.

Neither
the
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
nor
the
Galaxy
Ring
is
without
its
flaws.
During
my
review
periods,
both
devices
struggled
in
terms
of
accuracy
as
well
as
battery
life.
However,
the
rings
are
exceptionally
comfortable
and
provide
a
wide
range
of
basic
health
and
activity
tracking,
especially
for
such
a
small
form
factor.
Anyone
interested
in
passive
wellness
monitoring
and
unobtrusive
overnight
tracking
will
be
happy
with
a
smart
ring.
For
Samsung
users,
I
recommend
the
Samsung
Galaxy
Ring.
The
device
offers
unique
integration
within
the
ecosystem
plus
an
approachable
and
familiar
companion
app
experience
thanks
to
Samsung
Health.
I
especially
love
the
ring’s
charging
case
and
feel
the
device
has
a
lot
of
promise
given
its
name-brand
support.

If
you
are
an
iOS
user,
however,
the
Samsung
Galaxy
Ring
is
not
an
option.
Even
if
you
do
have
an
Android
phone,
the
Ultrahuman
Ring
Air
is
worth
considering
if
it
is
not
specifically
a
Samsung
phone.
The
company’s
PowerPlugs
platform
is
a
unique
avenue
with
a
ton
of
potential
and
it’s
clear
Ultrahuman
has
big
plans
to
continue
expansion.
Accuracy
on
the
device
is
not
where
I
would
want
it
to
be
ideally,
but
I
am
hopeful
we
will
see
refinement
over
time.