After months of speculation, Samsung finally unveiled the Galaxy Ring today at Unpacked This new smart ring looks as you would expect (it is a ring, after all), but behind the shiny exterior is packed with health and fitness sensors

It needs to do so to compete with the current market leader, the Oura Ring Gen-3 But while Oura's strength has always been interoperability, the Galaxy Ring's key to success may be integration with any Samsung product

The Samsung Galaxy Ring retails for $399 and comes in three colors (black, silver, and gold) and nine sizes The battery should last comfortably for a week on a single charge, and it is IP68 rated, so it is waterproof for up to 30 minutes

Given their relatively small size, the optical heart rate sensor, blood oxygen monitor, skin temperature sensor, and accelerometer are impressive These data are sent to the Samsung Health app, which is where the ring's true value is revealed

Before delving into what the Galaxy Ring can do, let's take a look at the hardware itself and what you get for $400 Weighing just 3 grams at its largest size, it's fairly lightweight, and with three color options, you can choose a design that suits your aesthetic and taste

However, you cannot directly manipulate the data on the ring itself, as it does not have a display like most fitness trackers do Instead, the measurements are synced to the Samsung phone via Bluetooth and displayed in the Samsung Health app

We got some hands-on experience with the Galaxy Ring at Unpacked, but we won't know exactly how all of the fitness and health features will work until we try it out But from what we know so far, sleep monitoring, cycle tracking, and workout logging are the Ring's standout fitness and health features

Like most fitness trackers, the Galaxy Ring can monitor sleep using a photoelectric (PPG) sensor to monitor heart rate, an accelerometer to assess how much you move around throughout the night, and skin temperature readings

These measurements are converted into a sleep log in the Samsung Health app, so you can see how well you rested each night This is also an important factor in the ring's energy score, which gives a single metric based on sleep, daily activity, and recent workouts

But just as sleep is an important component of overall health, the Ring's sleep data also plays a role in the Galaxy Ring's other health features, such as the ability to track and predict menstrual periods using Natural Cycles

One of Oura's most useful features is the use of skin temperature readings to monitor menstrual cycles As a stand-alone feature, the app determines the date of menstruation based on changes in body temperature and asks for confirmation

However, Oura can also send temperature data to Natural Cycles, an FDA-approved period tracking and fertility app; prior to Unpacked, there were rumors that Galaxy Ring would include this feature, and they were correct

The Galaxy Ring's temperature readings will be synced with Samsung Health, and the app will use Natural Cycles' technology to track your period and predict your next period This implementation differs from Oura's in several ways

More advanced Natural Cycles tracking in Oura requires an Oura membership and a Natural Cycles subscription However, there is no equivalent subscription to Samsung Galaxy Ring [Samsung Health can help you track your menstrual cycle, but it does not use the full functionality of Natural Cycles and cannot be used as a fertility or birth control tool like Natural Cycles' main app

As one would expect from a fitness tracking wearable, the Galaxy Ring can monitor daily activity and can even automatically detect exercises when you start moving This is handy since there is no way to manually initiate a workout on the ring

Your metrics will be pushed to the Samsung Health app, with new AI features like Energy Score, as well as personalized insights based on your recovery, activities you should add to your day, nutrition advice, and all the New Features

While we won't know for sure how useful these features are or how the Galaxy Ring compares to the Oura Ring until we actually use the Galaxy Ring, our initial impression is that this may be the first smart ring to actually challenge Oura's top spot