Samsung Galaxy Ring Can Have Subscriptions In The Future

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is equipped with a number of health sensors (photo: x @ChitoGami)

JAKARTA - During the Galaxy Unpacked presentation, Samsung showed a slide implying that future Samsung Health features using the Galaxy Ring may require subscriptions.

The Galaxy Ring feature currently does not require subscriptions, but some competing smart rings need them. The text on the Samsung slide does not explicitly state that Samsung Health's upcoming features will require subscriptions, but this leaves the possibility.

While the smart ring isn't new, the Galaxy Ring from Samsung is the first such product of a large consumer technology brand. After a lot of anticipation, it was finally launched less than two weeks ago at the Galaxy Unpacked event along with a new foldable phone, earbud, and smartwatch.

This Samsung smart ring stands out primarily because, although slightly more expensive than the leading competitor at a price of $399.99, it doesn't cost you a subscription fee to use the feature. However, that may not always happen, at least for upcoming features.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is equipped with a number of health sensors such as heart rate monitors, sleep trackers, blood oxygen trackers, step counters, and more. These sensors support a variety of Galaxy Ring health tracking and fitness features, including continuous sleep monitoring, heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, exercise detection, cycle tracking, and more.

The Galaxy Ring does not have a screen, so all the health and fitness data it collects must be seen through the Samsung Health application on the Android smartphone it couples to.

In the Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung promises that no Galaxy Ring feature requires additional subscription fees to be accessed. However, hidden in the record of one of the slides displayed during the presentation is text showing that this promise only applies to the currently available Samsung Galaxy feature. For future Samsung Health features, Samsung warns that different provisions may apply.

The Galaxy Ring must be paired with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone with Android 11.0 or higher and a minimum memory of 1.5GB. Samsung Health (v6.27 or higher) and Samsung account login are required. Service availability may vary depending on the country or region. The currently available Samsung Health feature that uses the Samsung Galaxy Ring is provided without monthly subscriptions. Different provisions may apply to the future Samsung Health feature.

While this does not guarantee that Samsung will impose subscription fees for the Galaxy Ring feature in the future, this opens up those possibilities. Whether that's really going to happen or not, we can't confirm yet. Previous rumors stated that Samsung plans to charge monthly subscription fees for some Galaxy Ring features.

Several articles published after Ring's launch expressly stated that Samsung has no plans to charge any Ring feature, both now and in the future, while others state that it only applies for now.

If Samsung ended up charging subscription fees for the Galaxy Ring feature, it wouldn't even be a strange thing for them. However, the Galaxy AI feature is currently available for free in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, but there are conditions: they are only guaranteed free until 2025.

These conditions are also hidden on record during the Galaxy Unpacked event in January, so it's clear that Samsung doesn't want to guarantee free access to any features, especially those that require AI's intensive resources forever.

Various Samsung Health features are included in the Galaxy AI umbrella, including the Energy Score and Wellness Tips features of the Galaxy Ring. Because Samsung does not guarantee that the Galaxy AI feature will be free after 2025, these two features can theoretically be locked after 2025. However, because these two features are currently available (as long as you pair a Samsung Galaxy with the Galaxy Ring), it is likely that Samsung will not charge them in the future, given its launch commitment.

Galaxy Ring's main competitor, Oura Ring, starts at $299 but charges a subscription fee of 5.99 US dollars/month. So even though some of Oura's options are cheaper upfront, many people think Samsung's options have better value. If Samsung ultimately charges future subscription fees, those calculations could change. However, we have to wait and see if they actually decided to impose subscription fees in the future and if so, what costs and what features will they lock behind the subscription.