The Galaxy Ring He may not have taken center stage last week Unpacked Galaxyhowever, it received an important update. buried among the news about Galaxy Z Fold 8’s new foldable form factor and giving special kicks to the Galaxy Watch and Watch Ultra, Samsung announced a major new software feature for a smart ring: Later this fall, the Galaxy Ring will be the first smart ring to support FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection.
Samsung’s sleep apnea risk detection feature uses sensors on Galaxy Watches (and now Rings) to track symptoms that “may indicate moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.” the company writescorrelates changes in data such as blood oxygen levels with respiratory disturbances. The feature has received approval Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety In 2023 and De Novo authorization US Food and Drug Administration In 2024. That doesn’t mean it can diagnose sleep apnea, but it does mean it can be advertised as a new medical tool that doctors can consider as part of treatment.
Starting with every new Samsung smartwatch since then Galaxy Watch 7 includes sleep apnea detection, and a similar feature is available on Apple’s wearable devices. Apple Watch series 9. Adding it to a smart ring is a first, though. For example, Oura Ring 5 it supports a feature to track breathing disorders during sleep — a symptom of sleep apnea — but is not FDA-cleared. RingConn’s Gen 2 smart ring includes what the company calls “Sleep Apnea Monitoring” but the company is not talking about any official confirmation.
Samsung noted that the Galaxy Ring will support sleep apnea risk detection as part of a wider update to the company’s rollout of improvements. Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2so it remains to be seen if the feature will work as well on the ring as it does on the watches. Still, the fact that this feature exists should make it more accessible to people who don’t like wearing a smartwatch while sleeping, or don’t own a Galaxy Watch in the first place.
It’s also a consolation prize for anyone still waiting for the Galaxy Ring 2. Samsung didn’t show off the next smart ring at its event, which surely means it won’t announce it until 2027 at the earliest. It fits with rumours about the company’s wearable plans, but that means it could be three years or more between the launch of the first Galaxy Ring in 2024 and the second. Perhaps this reflects the level of interest in Samsung’s smallest wearable, but it could also be the reality that software support on a screenless wearable makes more sense than hardware updates.
