Will Galaxy Ring renew Samsung-Apple rivalry?

In saturated market, smartphone rivals enhance health care features as new growth drivers

Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Ring (left) and Galaxy Watch 7 smartwatch series (Samsung Electronics)

Competition between global tech rivals Samsung Electronics and Apple for domination of the burgeoning digital health care market heats up as elderly populations grow rapidly in many parts of the world.

Samsung considers digital health care as a future growth engine. The strategy is to put health management app Samsung Health at the forefront and use the Galaxy Watch series as a pivotal element, particularly highlighting its sleep management feature.

Last week, the Korean tech giant unveiled the long-awaited Galaxy Ring, the first ring-type health care device, touting it as a "game-changer" in the fast-evolving wearable market.

The 2.3-gram AI-powered Galaxy Ring can track sleep, oxygen, heart rate and skin temperature to give users insights into wellness, thanks to the device's three built-in sensors.

The battery can last up to seven days on a single charge and can resist water and survive submersion up to 100 meters deep.

Users can also control their Samsung Galaxy smartphones paired with the ring, taking pictures or turning off alarms by pinching their thumb and the ring finger.

Archrival Apple is also rumored to be working on its own smart ring but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Samsung and Apple have competed against each other by rolling out new health wearable devices each year. They have added new features such as tracking users' sleep latency, heart rate, respiratory rate, menstrual cycle and advanced glycation end-product monitoring functions to attract users.

The beginning of the two firms’ competition dates back to 2013 when Samsung first introduced its smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Gear. Apple’s first watch was launched in 2015. Samsung aims to enhance the well-being of its users by simplifying the management of intricate and fragmented health information, making it more accessible and convenient on just one hand.

"As health care advances and consumer demand for more features grows, integration with smartphones becomes essential. Wearable devices, being attached to the body, are crucial for more accurate health monitoring,” a Samsung official said.

“We aim to offer unique health functionalities through our latest Galaxy wearable portfolio, leveraging advanced technologies like state-of-the-art sensors and AI. This approach enhances the competitiveness of our wearable products compared to other companies," the official said.

Samsung has long been engaged in developing a mobile health care ecosystem, which includes improving the biosensor capabilities of the Galaxy Gear and Watch series and upgrading Samsung Health.

Despite being the first to enter the market, Samsung lost its share of the smartwatch market to Apple.

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Apple held the top position in the global smartwatch market share in the first quarter with 21 percent. Chinese phone-maker Huawei followed with 10 percent, while Samsung secured third place with 9 percent.

In the meantime, some experts say that Samsung can seize the opportunity to turn the tables with the new Galaxy Ring.

"The Galaxy Ring has a unique form factor absent from Apple's product lineup. Incorporating AI features, the device will attract user interest," said Lee Seong-yeob, professor of intellectual property strategy at Korea University's Graduate School of Management of Technology.

Jung Min-gyu, an analyst at Sangsangin Investment & Securities, agreed and said, "With a more diversified product lineup, Samsung has secured a competitive edge against Apple."

In the meantime, Samsung hired Hon Park, a former doctor with a US medical license, to lead the digital health team affiliated with its DX Mobile Business division in 2020. He is known to have conducted research in the health care and health tech fields for 30 years.

By Jie Ye-eun(yeeun@heraldcorp.com)