Samsung has filed trademarks for “Galaxy Pulse” and three other names, while new reporting reveals the company is developing a wearable smart ring.
According to a report from TheElec, Samsung has formally begun the development of a smart ring, a finger-worn gadget typically used to monitor your health and vitals, particularly your heart rate, while being smaller than a typical smartwatch.
Reportedly, Samsung is moving forward with the creation of the initial PCB hardware necessary for a smart ring, with the intention of building an early prototype. From there, the company will decide whether to proceed with mass-producing the new Galaxy wearable.
Rumors of a Galaxy-branded smart ring have swirled for years and surfaced again earlier this year when Samsung trademarked the straightforward “Galaxy Ring.” The ring has been presumed to be poised as a direct competitor to Oura’s line of wearables.
However, the latest set of trademarks suggests that Samsung may give its smart ring a second purpose. Unlike the previous Galaxy Ring trademark – which coincidentally appeared alongside a trademark for “Galaxy Glasses” – each of Samsung’s latest filings, listed below, specifically mentions that “smart glasses” are also covered.
Update 7/20: Two more trademark filings have appeared for Samsung smart rings, namely the “Galaxy Rhythm” and “Galaxy One.” We’ve updated our coverage below accordingly.
Relatedly, TheElec uncovered a patent filing from Samsung that shows the potential to use a smart ring to offer more accurate hand-sensing capabilities when paired with smart glasses. That said, not every patent makes it to a final product, so this should be taken with a grain of salt for now.
The patent sees Samsung distinguish itself from previous efforts to pair a smart ring with glasses. As we reported at the end of last year, Google – following its acquisition of North – was working on a ring-based joystick-like control scheme for its since-canceled AR smart glasses project. That said, Apple has changed the general expectation for XR headsets with its advanced hand- and eye-tracking capabilities.
Meanwhile, the most detailed and expansive of Samsung’s six new trademarks are the filings for Galaxy Pulse, Galaxy Rhythm, and Galaxy One, each of which goes far beyond just ring and glasses hardware to also include form factors like “smart bracelets” and “smart necklaces.” It seems any of these three may also refer to the app you’d use to sync health data from your ring to your smartphone.
GALAXY PULSE™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of smart rings; Wearable computers in the nature of smart bracelets, smart necklaces, smart glasses and smart rings; Wearable digital electronic communication devices; Downloadable software application for smart rings for tracking, gathering, monitoring, detecting, recognizing, storing, transmitting, managing and assessing biometric and physiological data, vital signs and personal health records, and for providing medical advice; Recorded software application for smart rings for tracking, gathering, monitoring, detecting, recognizing, storing, transmitting, managing and assessing biometric and physiological data, vital signs and personal health records, and for providing medical advice.
On one hand, the report from TheElec points to the Galaxy smart ring being far from ready for release. On the other, the appearance of these potential brand names in trademarks could mean we may see Samsung talk about the new style of hardware sooner rather than later.
What would you want to see from a Samsung Galaxy smart ring? Would you wear one? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured image: “Loop” ring for Focals by North
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