The best feature of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is that it doesn’t lock my data behind a paywall

Samsung will be the first major tech company to launch a smart ring when Galaxy Ring officially launched on July 10 in ParisBut don’t be surprised if other tech giants like Apple, Google, and Amazon also launch similar wearables in the coming years.

Smart rings have some advantages over smartwatches when it comes to health and fitness tracking, and can generate advanced data to help you gain a deeper understanding of your health and make better choices about your body. But there’s a bad trend in smart rings, led by Oura, that currently locks some of your data behind a subscription wall. The biggest event Samsung could do with its entry into the smart ring market would be to buck that trend.

If Samsung doesn’t charge a subscription fee, it will be difficult for Apple, Google, Amazon, or other leading tech companies to charge a fee when they enter the market.

Also: What to expect from Samsung Unpacked July 2024: Galaxy Z Fold 6, Watch Ultra, Smart Ring, and more

Smart rings have some of the same features as smartwatches, but they have some advantages such as:

• They are generally more accurate in tracking sleep data.
• They can provide a better overall picture of your health by monitoring stress levels, body temperature, and activity readiness.
• They don’t have screens to distract you.
• There are times when people don’t want to wear a watch but still want to track their activity and health data.

To be clear, there are a number of other smart rings that don’t charge a subscription fee so you can take advantage of the smart ring’s data benefits. The Air Super Ring is an example of a smart ring from ZDNET Nina Raemont Tried it recently and really like it — and no registration required.

Also: The Best Smart Rings You Can Buy

Over the past decade, I’ve tested a lot of wearable tech from smart glasses to smartwatches to XR headphones. I’ve tried smart rings since the original Motiv Smart Ring in 2018. I recently tried Oura Horizon StealthThe company’s third-generation product. And while smart rings are getting smarter and more capable with each step — and have the potential to become companion devices to control the XR headset — no smart ring has yet been able to make me willing to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee to get a complete picture of my health.

I hope Samsung reshapes the smart ring market by giving us all our data by default through the Galaxy Ring.