The original Samsung Galaxy Ring was a statement of intent: a premium health tracker that proved the smart ring category had a future beyond Oura's near-monopoly. It was good. The Galaxy Ring 2, released in July 2026, is better in almost every way that matters — and it has quietly become the most compelling health wearable you can buy right now, regardless of form factor.

I have been wearing it daily for four weeks, sleeping with it, exercising with it, and comparing its readings against a chest-strap heart rate monitor and a clinical-grade sleep study. Here is what I found.

Design and Build Quality

The Galaxy Ring 2 is available in sizes 5 through 13 and three finishes: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and a new Titanium Gold that looks considerably more understated in person than it does in product photos. The ring is made from Grade 5 titanium — the same alloy used in aerospace components and high-end watchcases — and it shows. It feels dense and premium without being heavy, and after four weeks of daily wear including gym sessions, swimming, and dishwashing, it shows no scratches or marks.

At 2.9mm wide and 2.1mm thick, it is marginally slimmer than the first-generation model and noticeably thinner than the Oura Ring 4. On the finger, it is genuinely unobtrusive — colleagues who knew I was testing it still forgot it was there within a day or two. The flat inner surface, which houses the optical sensors, sits flush against the skin without creating pressure points even during extended wear.

Samsung has also improved the IP rating from IP68 to IP69K, meaning the ring is now rated for high-pressure water jets in addition to submersion. For swimmers and people who work in wet environments, this is a meaningful upgrade.

Health Tracking: What It Measures and How Accurately

The Galaxy Ring 2 tracks continuous heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), skin temperature, respiratory rate during sleep, and activity. Samsung has added two new sensors compared to the first generation: a galvanic skin response sensor for stress detection and an improved PPG sensor array with three emitters instead of two, which Samsung claims improves accuracy in challenging conditions like cold weather and high-intensity exercise.

Heart rate accuracy: Compared against a Polar H10 chest strap during running, cycling, and HIIT sessions, the Galaxy Ring 2 tracked within 3 BPM of the chest strap 89% of the time — a meaningful improvement over the first generation's 82% accuracy in the same conditions. During steady-state cardio, accuracy was essentially perfect. During high-intensity intervals with rapid heart rate changes, there was occasional lag of 5–10 seconds, which is typical for optical wrist and finger sensors.

Sleep tracking: This is where the Galaxy Ring 2 genuinely shines. Compared against a clinical polysomnography sleep study conducted over two nights, the ring correctly identified sleep stages (light, deep, REM) with 84% accuracy — comparable to the Oura Ring 4 and significantly better than most smartwatches. The sleep score algorithm has been refined to weight REM sleep and HRV more heavily, producing scores that correlate better with subjective sleep quality than the first generation's simpler model.

Stress detection: The new galvanic skin response sensor enables continuous stress monitoring throughout the day. In my testing, the stress readings correlated reasonably well with subjectively stressful periods — work deadlines, difficult conversations, commuting in heavy traffic — though the algorithm occasionally flagged physical exertion as stress. Samsung is transparent about this limitation and the Galaxy AI app allows users to annotate readings to improve personalisation over time.

Blood oxygen: SpO2 readings were consistently within 1–2% of a clinical pulse oximeter during normal conditions. Samsung has added an automatic low SpO2 alert that triggers if readings drop below 90% during sleep — a useful safety feature for users at risk of sleep apnoea.

Battery Life: The Ring's Biggest Advantage

Battery life remains the smart ring's killer advantage over smartwatches, and the Galaxy Ring 2 extends it further. Samsung rates it at nine days; in my testing with all sensors active including continuous heart rate and sleep tracking, I consistently achieved eight to nine days between charges. Charging from flat to full takes 80 minutes using the included charging case, which itself holds approximately two full charges.

For context: the Apple Watch Ultra 2 lasts approximately 60 hours. The Garmin Fenix 8 lasts up to 16 days in GPS mode but requires disabling many sensors to achieve that. The Galaxy Ring 2's nine-day battery with all sensors active is genuinely exceptional and removes the daily charging habit that many users find the most friction-generating aspect of smartwatch ownership.

Galaxy AI Integration

The Galaxy Ring 2 is deeply integrated with Samsung's Galaxy AI health platform, and this integration is where the device's value proposition becomes clearest. The app synthesises data from the ring, any connected Samsung devices, and optionally third-party apps to generate what Samsung calls an "Energy Score" — a daily readiness metric that accounts for sleep quality, HRV trends, activity load, and stress levels.

The Energy Score is more useful than it sounds. After two weeks of data collection, the algorithm begins identifying personal patterns — the specific combination of sleep duration, HRV, and previous day's activity that predicts your best and worst performance days. The recommendations it generates are specific and actionable: "Your HRV has been declining for three days. Consider a recovery-focused workout today and aim for 7.5+ hours of sleep tonight."

Samsung has also added a new "Cycle Tracking" feature that uses temperature and HRV data to predict menstrual cycles and fertile windows. In a four-week comparison against a dedicated cycle tracking app, the predictions were accurate to within one day for cycle start dates. This is a feature that Oura has offered for several years, and Samsung's implementation is now competitive.

Galaxy Ring 2 vs Oura Ring 4: The Definitive Comparison

The inevitable comparison is with the Oura Ring 4, which has been the category benchmark since its release in late 2024. After testing both simultaneously for two weeks, here is my honest assessment:

The Oura Ring 4 remains slightly ahead on sleep stage accuracy and has a more mature algorithm built on years of research data. Its app is more polished and the third-party integrations — particularly with Apple Health and Google Fit — are more comprehensive. Oura also has a subscription model ($5.99/month) that unlocks advanced features; Samsung's equivalent features are included in the Galaxy Ring 2's purchase price with no ongoing subscription required.

The Galaxy Ring 2 leads on hardware: it is slimmer, has a higher IP rating, includes the stress sensor that Oura lacks, and offers better integration with Samsung's broader ecosystem including Galaxy phones, Galaxy Watch, and Samsung Health. For users already in the Samsung ecosystem, the integration advantages are significant.

For most users, the choice comes down to ecosystem: if you use a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Ring 2 is the better choice. If you use an iPhone or a non-Samsung Android device, the Oura Ring 4's broader compatibility gives it the edge.

Цены и доступность

The Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 is priced at $399 AUD / $299 USD / £249 GBP, positioning it at a slight premium to the Oura Ring 4 ($349 AUD / $299 USD / £269 GBP). There is no subscription fee — all features are included in the purchase price, which represents a meaningful long-term cost advantage over Oura's subscription model.

The ring is available directly from Samsung and through major retailers in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and most European markets. Samsung offers a free sizing kit that ships within two business days, which is essential given that ring sizing is less forgiving than watch sizing.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 is the best smart ring available in 2026 for users in the Samsung ecosystem, and a serious competitor to the Oura Ring 4 for everyone else. The combination of nine-day battery life, accurate health tracking, no subscription fee, and genuinely useful AI-powered insights makes it the most compelling health wearable argument for ditching your smartwatch — at least for sleep and recovery tracking.

If you have been curious about smart rings but held off waiting for the technology to mature, the Galaxy Ring 2 is the device that justifies the category. It is not perfect — the stress sensor needs refinement and the app's third-party integrations lag behind Oura — but it is excellent, and it is only going to get better as Samsung's health AI accumulates more personal data.

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