Sorry, iPhone users — the new Samsung Galaxy Ring is Android-only

Sorry iPhone folks, the new Samsung Galaxy Ring is not for you. Samsung's exciting new AI-backed health-monitoring ring is jam-packed with sensors to keep tabs on your well-being 24/7, whether you're sleeping, working out, running errands or eating. 

There's just one caveat: you'll need an Android smartphone to access the data and insights via the Samsung Health app. 

That's not all, though. The Galaxy Ring can also be used to control other devices via a Double Pinch gesture, something we haven't seen before from a smart ring. Use it to remotely fire the shutter on compatible Samsung Galaxy handsets or snooze an alarm. 

Sadly, all this cool useful tech will pass iPhone users by like a cruise ship in the night. But why did Samsung wall off access to the the Galaxy Ring in the first place? 

Samsung constructs its own walled garden

The decision to limit access to the Galaxy Ring isn't necessarily a surprising one. The last two generations of health-focused Galaxy wearables, including the new Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra, are also Android-only. Is Samsung simply turning the tables on Apple and building a walled garden of its own? It certainly looks that way.

Limiting Galaxy Ring support to just one platform has obvious pros and cons. As the first behemoth tech company to bring a smart ring to market, the Galaxy Ring very well may be the catalyst that converts some iOS users to the dark... I mean, the Android side. This is especially true if Apple struggles to launch a competitor in a timely fashion. More on that below.

On the other hand (get it?), the Galaxy Ring's inherently limited user base and hefty price tag of $399 may cause it to crash and burn out of the gate. By the way, that's $100 more than the new Galaxy Watch 7 as well as the current best-in-class smart ring, the Oura Ring Gen 3. 

When will Apple launch a smart ring?

We still don't know if Apple actually intends to bring a smart ring to market. While there are reports that such a device is in the works, rumors about a forthcoming Apple smart ring have been relatively quiet since the start of the year.

While it's extremely unlikely that we'll see an Apple iRing announced this fall alongside the rumored Apple Watch X and Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Cupertino King may have a Galaxy Ring alternative in the works for 2025. Fingers crossed. 

iPhone compatible Galaxy Ring alternatives

There are a handful of OS-agnostic smart rings available for iPhone users smitten with the Galaxy Ring in all its bling bling glory. The Oura Ring Gen 3 is the nearest competitor to Samsung's smart ring; here's a detailed breakdown of the Galaxy Ring vs. the Oura Ring. 

With the Oura, you get a similarly comprehensive level of wellness tracking tech and similar battery life, but no gesture controls. The Oura Ring is $100 cheaper than the Galaxy Ring but requires a $5.99 monthly subscription. 

If you're trying to avoid recurring costs, the Amazfit Helio Ring may be worth a look. It plays nicely with Android and iOS devices and is priced at $299. We're still testing the device but the wellness-tracking tech seems legit, though not quite as thorough as Oura's or Samsung's. Again, there are no gesture controls.

Other Galaxy Ring alternatives include the Ultrahuman Ring Air and the Circular Ring Slim. 

More from Tom's Guide: