Samsung unveils hefty Australian price tag for Galaxy Ring
It’s the super comfortable technology that you might not even remember you’re wearing but it comes with a hefty price tag per centimetre.
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It’s the technology you probably don’t need and one that comes with one of the most expensive price tags per centimetre in Australia.
But no doubt there will be a market for the $699 Galaxy Ring from Samsung.
Initially, you won’t find it at Harvey Norman or other major tech retailers with Samsung keen to manage the customer journey itself.
That’s partly because the onboarding process is a little different from your average tech purchase.
Before you order one you will be asked to try out different sizes via a sizing kit.
Samsung is recommending you try a dummy ring for a couple of days to ensure it is the right fit for you.
The Galaxy Ring, which will only work with Samsung or Android 11.0 or above smartphones, is not designed to replace your smart watch or fitness tracker, but to complement it.
The selling points are that is far more comfortable to wear all the time than a watch or tracker, including while you sleep, as well as being a super tough titanium fashion accessory. And it won’t need charging all the time.
By wearing it, you will be given an energy score which will look at sleep time, consistency, activity, sleeping heart rate, sleeping heart variability.
It will also auto detect workouts like walking and running and of course give you those pesky reminders via the Samsung health app on your phone when you are not moving enough.
Kylie Mason, Head of Wearables at Samsung Australia, said she was excited Australia would be the first market to launch in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
“Australia ranks amongst the most health conscious countries in the world, and we believe that Australians will embrace Galaxy Ring as a new option for a simplified and more consistent wellness tracking experience.”
The Galaxy Ring weighs just 2.3 to 3.0 grams depending on the size you have. It’s available in sizes 5 to 13.
“It is insanely comfortable and super light. It literally feels like you have nothing on … on your fingers,’’ Ms Mason said.
With a concave surface it is designed so it doesn’t dig into your skin.
It has three different monitors within the ring to track your heart rate, your skin temperature (for sleep and menstrual cycle tracking) and your movement.
Coming in gold, black and silver, so far overseas black has accounted with 50 per cent of all sales, followed by silver and then gold.
The ring comes with its own charging and pairing box which is sized exactly for the ring, transparent and like a jewellery box.
It takes 90 minutes to charge or 30 minutes to charge to 40 per cent and will last up to 7 days without another charge.
It has storage of 8 megabytes for data so theoretically it could track your activity for up to six days without being connected to your phone.
But with no display, you will rely on the Samsung Health app on your phone to read all the key data.
It is as water resistant as the ultra watch 10ATMS or i68.
You can also use the ring to double pinch to turn off alarms and take photos while there is also a Find My Ring functionality if you have a Samsung phone.
Samsung, obviously realising that consumers may not be convinced they need a ring, is offering an extended change of mind policy giving customers 30 days to use it and see if they really like it.
So exactly who is the market for a Galaxy Ring?
According to overseas sales, about 84% of purchases are with ring sizes 9-13, most of them male and plenty of them Ultra users.
Samsung believes that the ring will complement its watches, which are priced about the same as the ring.
We asked why the big price tag given the ring is available for $399 in the US, so should be priced for about $599 in Australia.
Samsung argues the ring offers lots of technology, comfort and convenience in a very small package, while unlike other rings had no ongoing subscriptions.
The Galaxy Ring is $699 RRP and available exclusively at Samsung.com.au and Samsung Experience Stores. It is available to order now.
Originally published as Samsung unveils hefty Australian price tag for Galaxy Ring
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