Galaxy Ring hands-on: It's not fancy, but smart for tracking daily vitals

The Galaxy Ring offers around-the-clock health monitoring, while the new Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 come with an enhanced translation feature.

A customer tries on a Galaxy Ring in Titanium Black at Samsung Electronics' retail shop in western Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

"Energy score: 57"

"Try avoiding late-night snacks and alcohol"

The Samsung Health app on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 displayed messages like these based on data accumulated overnight through the Galaxy Ring as shown in a briefing held in Seoul on Thursday, where the Korean media got a hands-on experience with the new devices unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event.

An energy score based on movement during sleep, sleep latency and heart and respiratory rates is presented every morning so that users can schedule their daily routine in a healthier way.

The Galaxy Ring is a sleep-focused health tracker that monitors the user's condition around the clock, including heart rate to assess stress levels.

Although its performance over a longer period of time remains to be seen, its 24/7 sensing of various health metrics, made possible thanks to a long battery life of up to seven days, makes its analysis more reliable than those done by smartphones or watches, which are usually bound to chargers at night.

Galaxy Rings in three colors are on display at Samsung Electronics' retail store in western Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Aesthetically, opinions could be divided.

The black and silver versions have matte finishes, and the whole range is light weight in an effort to be comfortable when worn while also looking tech-savvy.

But those that expected it to look like a fancy accessory could be disappointed. The 7-millimeter width may feel bulky for some, and the lightness may impart a sense that the product lacks expensive quality.

The AI in Samsung Electronics' newest foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 — have evolved to include a set of more sophisticated and practical functions for users.

The hands-on experience with them on Thursday proved that subtle updates can sometimes be more useful than dramatic ones that lack substance.

The AI-powered translation feature has been enhanced in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6.

A customer takes a photo of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 at Samsung Electronics' retail shop in western Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Both devices support double-sided real-time translation where the two displays act as prompters that show the translated lines of the speakers. Not only does the display show the text, but it is read out loud.

A listening mode has been added to the feature, providing a translated transcript of what is said, which could be useful in meetings or lectures held in a foreign language.

The new PDF Overlay feature is dedicated to translating written text. When opened through the Galaxy Note app, PDFs can be translated paragraph by paragraph without infringing on the document's original format. It also is able to recognize text included in graphs and photos.

Samsung emphasizes that the true value of Galaxy AI is revealed when devices are interconnected.

When wearing the newly revealed Galaxy Buds3, conversations or lectures in a foreign language are interpreted into the user's ears.

Such a feature could facilitate a more "natural flow" of conversation, allowing the listener to observe the gestures or facial expressions of the speaker, according to the company.

Roh Tae-moon, head of Samsung Electronics' mobile business, raised the company's target number of devices deployed with Galaxy AI to 200 million units by the end of this year from the 100 million announced in January.

Roh said he is aiming for a 10 percent hike in sales of the two newest foldables over the previous versions.

"The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are by far the most refined and complete foldable form factor topped with optimized Galaxy AI," he said in a news conference held in Paris on Wednesday.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]