Price
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is available for pre-order now for $399.99 and will hit store shelves starting July 24. It comes in nine different sizes (size 5 through 13) and three different colors (black, gold, or silver).
The Oura Ring Generation 3 came out late in 2021. It still costs $299 for the original Heritage model. The newer Horizon model costs $349. The Heritage model comes in black, gold, silver, or stealth (matte black). The Horizon model adds brushed titanium and rose gold to the mix. Some colors carry a premium of as much as $200. Both are available in eight sizes (sizes 6 through 13).
Oura charges a $5.99 monthly membership fee for advanced features and personalized recommendations. Without the membership, you can only see basic activity and sleep scores. Samsung doesn't charge an additional fee.
Both companies offer a sizing kit if you need to know which model will fit you best. Oura’s is free. Samsung’s costs $10, but you’ll then receive a $10 discount on the Galaxy Ring if you order one. If you choose not to get the Ring, you're out that $10.
Winner: Tie
Compatibility
As is usual for a Samsung wearable, you need to pair the Galaxy Ring with an Android device. It won’t work with iPhones. It also has a few features exclusive to Samsung phones, such as AI insights.
The Oura Ring works with Android or iOS, with all features available on any current smartphone.
Winner: Oura Ring
Size and Durability
The exact measurements of the rings will vary somewhat depending on which size you order. The Oura Ring 3 measures 0.31 inches wide and 0.10 inches thick and weighs between 0.14 and 0.21 ounces. The Galaxy Ring measures 0.28 inches wide and 0.10 inches thick and weighs between 0.08 and 0.11 ounces, so it is slightly thinner and much lighter.
The Oura 3 has a titanium body with a seamless inner molding and is water-resistant to a depth of 328 feet. The Galaxy Ring has the same titanium body and level of water resistance, so both models should be similarly durable, with Samsung holding a slight edge in this category thanks to its lighter weight.
Winner: Galaxy Ring
Recommended by Our Editors
Sensors and Features
The Galaxy Ring has an accelerometer, a Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to detect blood circulation and oxygenation, and a skin temperature sensor. It also has green and red LEDs. The Oura 3 has an accelerometer, an IR sensor to compensate for when the ring is not optimally aligned, a PPG sensor, skin temperature sensors, and similarly colored LEDs.
Both models measure activity, heart rate, body temperature, and sleep. At launch, Oura used these measurements to offer a broad assessment of your physical wellness called Readiness and provided custom recommendations. The app offered guided meditation and tracked your stats during the session.
Since its launch, Oura has added numerous features, including pregnancy insights, cardiovascular age, and cycle tracking and insights. The company’s latest update added an AI advisor to further refine health assessments and recommendations.
The launch of that AI advisor was fortuitously timed, as one of the Galaxy Ring’s biggest features is its AI-powered health guidance. Samsung breaks this guidance down into Energy Score and Wellness Tips. The first quantifies your physical and mental condition on a scale from 0 to 100 based on the activity and sleep information gathered by your wearable. Wellness Tips takes that info and provides personalized recommendations.
Both products, then, have a similar focus on holistic health assessments. They both automatically track certain workouts, though the Galaxy Ring will only track walking and running at launch, and the Oura Gen 3 can track 40 different activities. Both also offer an in-depth analysis of your sleep, including sleeping heart rate and sleep efficiency.
As noted above, Oura’s best features are locked behind a subscription, and the Galaxy Ring requires a Samsung phone to access its AI-enabled guidance. The Oura Gen 3 has more features on paper, but Samsung could keep up if its AI offers truly helpful insights instead of generic platitudes.
Winner: Tie
Battery Life
Both rings come with a charging case. The Oura Ring 3 lasted six days in our battery test and has a stated life of four to seven days, depending on usage. We haven’t gotten our hands on the Samsung Galaxy Ring yet, but its stated battery life is seven days. Samsung notes that this battery life number is only for sizes 12 and 13. The smaller rings have smaller batteries and thus may have shorter battery life.
Winner: Tie
The Right Ring for You
We’re testing the Samsung Galaxy Ring now to see how it measures up against the Oura Ring in the real world. No matter what, the Oura Ring will remain the best choice for iPhone users, but the Galaxy Ring has potential for Android (and particularly Samsung) fans.
Check back soon for our full review of the Galaxy Ring and an overall winner.