Oura Ring 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Ring: Which One Fits Your Needs?
Elisabeth Christ
Updated October 2024
As the landscape of wearable technology evolves, two standout contenders have emerged: the Oura Ring 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Ring. Each offers unique features designed to enhance health and wellness, but which one aligns best with your lifestyle? In this comparison, we'll delve into their key attributes and help you decide which one fits your needs more.
Key Takeaways
The Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring cater to slightly different audiences: Oura focuses on advanced, detailed health insights with a highly customizable experience backed by AI, while the Galaxy Ring integrates effortlessly into Samsung’s ecosystem, offering simple, subscription-free health tracking. Oura excels in sleep tracking and women’s health, while Samsung provides more basic wellness metrics and convenient charging solutions.
| Oura Ring | Samsung Galaxy Ring | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349 | $399 |
| Thickness | Approximately 2.88 mm | 2.6 mm |
| Subscription | $5.99/month | ❌ |
| Fitness Tracking | Up to 40 workout detection | Can track 13 exercises |
| SpO2 sensor | ✅ | ✅ |
| Optical Heart Rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Menstrual Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Durability | 100 m water resistance | IP68 & 10 ATM |
| Ai Integration | AI Oura Advisor | AI-Powered Insights |
| Sleep Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Data Presentation | Insightful trends | Comprehensive insights |
| Additional Unique Features | Comfortable fit due to recessed sensors and titanium interior | Gesture controls & Find My Ring feature |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth LE | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 days | 6-7 days |
Oura Ring 4th Gen
Advanced Smart Ring with High-Accuracy Insights
✓ up to 8 days of battery life
✓ AI ‘Oura Advisor'
✓ Advanced Smart Sensing algorithm
✓ New stress and resilience metrics
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Wellness Tracking Smart Ring for Samsung Users
✓ Concave design
✓ IP68-rated water resistance
✓ AI-powered insights
✓ Integrated with Samsung ecosystem
#1 Design & Fit
Oura Ring 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Ring
The Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring are two top-tier contenders in the world of smart rings, each flaunting distinct designs that balance sleekness and function. The Oura Ring 4 leans towards minimalism, sporting a classic wedding-band aesthetic that complements its titanium body. Its smooth finish, available in colors like Black, Silver, Brushed Silver, Gold, Stealth, and Rose Gold, makes it as versatile for a night out as it is for sleep tracking. What sets the Oura apart is its flexibility in positioning; it can be twisted 30 degrees in any direction and still gather accurate sensor data. This ensures that no matter how you wear it, comfort and performance are always in sync.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Ring boasts a more futuristic design with its concave shape and ultra-thin profile, making it one of the slimmest smart rings available. Weighing between 2.3g and 3g depending on size, it feels almost weightless on the finger. The ring's black titanium build gives it a refined look, while its IP68-rated water resistance ensures it's durable enough for everyday use. With its subtle LED light that can be activated for easy tracking via the Samsung Find feature, the Galaxy Ring also offers a functional touch that blends seamlessly into its refined design.
#2 Smart Features
• Wellness Tracking
Samsung Galaxy Ring
The wellness tracking capabilities of both rings cater to slightly different needs. Oura Ring 4's health insights are backed by an advanced AI and its Smart Sensing algorithm, which leverages up to 18 sensor signal pathways to deliver precise metrics. Its cardiovascular tracking includes a Cardiovascular Age score and an approximation of VO2 Max via a six-minute walk test, making it particularly attractive to users focused on heart health. Additionally, Oura Ring 4 excels in stress management with its "resilience" metric, which evaluates how well your body responds to stress throughout the day.
In contrast, Samsung’s Galaxy Ring focuses more on essential health tracking, offering real-time high and low heart rate notifications alongside blood oxygen and skin temperature measurements. While its health insights may not be as granular as Oura’s, the Galaxy Ring integrates perfectly into the Samsung ecosystem, providing daily wellness tips and Energy Scores via the Samsung Health app. Though it lacks features like VO2 Max estimations or cardiovascular age metrics, it covers all the key bases for those looking for simple, actionable data.
• Sleep Tracking
Samsung Galaxy Ring
When it comes to sleep tracking, Oura Ring 4 truly shines. It is regarded as one of the most accurate sleep trackers available, with readings often compared to professional-grade polysomnography machines. The ring tracks various sleep stages, offering an in-depth breakdown of your sleep quality through its Sleep Score, Readiness Score, and a slew of other insightful data points. Women’s health tracking further adds to its impressive sleep analysis suite, making it a valuable tool for monitoring reproductive health alongside sleep metrics.
Samsung Galaxy Ring offers a more casual approach to sleep tracking with its daily Sleep Score and snoring detection features, but it struggles with accuracy compared to Oura. Its sleep coaching tools and energy scores are helpful, especially for users seeking actionable insights to improve their rest. However, Samsung's sleep stages tracking is only 79% accurate, which may leave data-conscious users wanting more. Nonetheless, the integration of Samsung’s AI recommendations makes it a decent option for casual sleep monitoring.
• Subscription & App Customization
Samsung Galaxy Ring
One standout difference between these two rings is their approach to subscriptions and app customization. The Oura Ring 4 requires a $5.99/month membership to access the full suite of features, including detailed health insights, sleep analysis, and women’s health tracking. The subscription also unlocks Oura’s AI-powered "Oura Advisor," which gives personalized suggestions based on user data. While this fee may be a drawback for some, it provides extensive, customizable insights that health enthusiasts will appreciate.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring, on the other hand, requires no subscription fees. All insights and wellness features are available through the Samsung Health app, offering a straightforward experience without ongoing costs. However, the Galaxy Ring is restricted to Samsung’s ecosystem, limiting customization options for users outside the brand's devices. It’s a better option for those who already own Samsung products and want seamless integration without extra fees.
• Insights Presentation
Oura Ring 4
Oura's insights presentation is where the ring’s data-driven focus truly stands out. Its app is user-friendly, presenting wellness, activity, and sleep metrics in a way that is both intuitive and visually appealing. The Oura Advisor function provides personalized suggestions, allowing users to easily act on the information provided. Detailed graphs, long-term trends, and the integration of advanced metrics like heart rate variability make the insights far more comprehensive than your average wearable.
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, while less data-rich, still offers solid insights via the Samsung Health app. Its AI-powered recommendations are practical and designed for users who prefer high-level overviews rather than minute details. However, compared to Oura’s granular breakdowns, the Galaxy Ring’s presentation feels more simplified, which can be either an advantage or limitation depending on your data preferences.
#3 Battery, Charging, & Connectivity
Oura Ring 4
The battery life of both rings is impressive, but they differ in longevity and charging systems. The Oura Ring 4 can last up to seven or eight days on a single charge, depending on usage. Its size 10 version is claimed to offer around 5.5 days of continuous use. Oura’s updated charging dock is sleeker and more refined than previous models, with a puck-shaped design that makes charging as simple as placing the ring on the dock. This straightforward system pairs well with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, which ensures seamless connectivity to both iOS and Android devices.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Ring comes with a charging case that uses a USB-C connector. It also supports reverse wireless charging from compatible Samsung phones, which adds an extra layer of convenience, especially for users entrenched in the Samsung ecosystem. The ring itself offers decent battery life on its own, but when paired with a Galaxy Watch, battery performance can be extended by up to 30%. However, the Samsung Galaxy Ring’s connectivity is limited to Android devices, specifically those running Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1, making it less versatile for non-Samsung users.
Oura Ring 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Ring
Final Thoughts
Oura Ring 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Ring
Ultimately, both smart rings offer unique advantages depending on your lifestyle and health tracking needs. If you prefer detailed data, in-depth sleep tracking, and are okay with paying a subscription, the Oura Ring 4 stands out as the more advanced option. On the other hand, if you value ecosystem integration, simplicity, and no ongoing fees, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is a strong choice, especially for Samsung users.
If you like to read more about Smart Ring, check out our other relevant guides here:
Samsung Galaxy Ring vs Oura Ring
Is Samsung’s New Smart Ring Any Good?
Author
Elisabeth Christ
Don't miss out on tech
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest tech trends and guides on the best gadgets around.
