Galaxy Ring - A cool new toy with potential

I've always wanted to track sleep (good sleep is important) and exercise (steps + heart rate). The best way to do that is via a smart device like a smart watch, but that may not work for everyone. The recent introduction of the Galaxy smart ring peaked my interest. However, there was no way I'd pay full price for a first gen product, so I waited for a sale. That sale finally came last week so, here is my new Galaxy Ring:

Battery status at 70% after 4 days

Wedding ring vs smart ring

I tried smart watches, from the original Gear S3 through watch 6 and 7. They're fun for a few months, but the regular recharging and taking up space on my wrist got old fast.

I'm a watch guy so I prefer to wear a traditional watch (no Always On Display will ever match a real watch face).

I tried to love my Watch 7 (comparison video) but it didn't work out. The watch 7 and my Gear S3 are collecting dust now, which is why I'm trading in the S3 for Galaxy Ring. That (plus some discounts) got the price under half, so I pulled the trigger.

I received my silver size 10 ring a few days ago and had been using it since.

Overall, I am impressed, especially comparing it to a cheap Colmi R03 (Chinese smart ring) I was testing out a few months ago. It was a beta test before buying a "real" smart ring. I also wanted to test out smart ring sizes as they are known to be different than regular ring size. The Colmi R03 does a good job as a "trial" smart ring. For some, it's perfectly fine and is 1/10th the cost.

I'll do a video comparing the two vs my watch 7, but here are a few things I like about Galaxy Ring:

1. Sleep and health tracking are way more accurate than the Colmi.
2. Size 10 Galaxy ring fits a bit more snug than the size 10 Colmi ring, but the slight flanged design makes it more comfortable. It's a subtle but nice touch that allowed me to forget about having it on my finger (as a ring should be). It's actually smaller than the Colmi, which is already smaller than same sized "cheap" smart rings.
3. It lasts about a week on a charge, despite turning on more often than the Colmi ring. This is Samsung's battery and power optimization magic.
4. Gesture Control works great and has a ton of future potential. I set it to trigger camera capture, which works perfectly. I use my S23U's camera a lot so, tapping my ring finger twice to remotely take a shot is a game changer. OK, I could've used the pen too, but this human interface function is so cool! I can imagine so many future applications for it (like double tap then hold to start recording video or triple tap to skip song). I can't wait for future updates to enhance this functional area. As a lifelong geek and tech enthusiast, I am giddy at the possibilities.
5. The charging case is beautifully designed (a far cry from the plastic case of my Colmi ring, which is already an upgrade from plugging cable directly to the ring). It guides the ring into the slot and the light running around the ring to show percentage charge is an awesome example of tech-fashion design. Wow!

Overall, this is well worth the spend for anyone remotely interested in smart ring.

I'm a bit bummed because silver size 9 was $100 more for some reason. I would've love to have it replace my wedding ring (wife approved). As is, it sits on my other hand, which is not ideal, but it'll do for now.

What an awesome charging case

 Samsung should apply this level of design to their earbuds

Packaging is minimalist but premium

Let me know what you think of the Galaxy Ring, especially if you have other "real" smart rings like Oura.