You can pair Samsung’s Galaxy Ring with a non-Samsung smartphone without losing any features. The smart ring works fine with any Android phone. Even the AI features don’t require a Galaxy AI-enabled phone, which Samsung said they would. The ring can handle it all on its own, with the Samsung Health app supporting it.
No Samsung Phone? No Problem! Galaxy Ring works fine with an Android phone
At Unpacked last month, where Samsung finally presented the Galaxy Ring, it said the ring requires a Galaxy phone for some AI features. Its online product pages and marketing materials reflected the same. Considering the company’s investment in Galaxy AI, it sounded reasonable for the ring to execute its AI-based functions via the phone.
To test how the Galaxy Ring’s performance differs when paired with Samsung and non-Samsung phones, Nirave Gondhia of Android Police simultaneously wore two units. He paired one with the Motorola Razr Plus and the other with the Galaxy Z Fold 6. He found “little to no difference” in their performances. Sleep reports were “nearly identical,” while all other features worked fine too, including AI features.
Energy Score, one of the two big Galaxy Ring AI features, was available on Samsung Health on both devices after wearing the ring for a night. It quantifies your readiness and energy levels after a night’s sleep. The other AI feature, Wellness Tips, also worked as intended. The ring uses AI to learn about you, your body, and your habits and offers AI-powered tips to help improve your underlying health.
“For the most part, everything worked just as I expected,” Gondhia says. The only notable difference was a delayed sync with the Motorola foldable. The Galaxy Ring didn’t sync as often with the Motorola phone as it did with the Galaxy Z Fold 6. At times, it was several hours behind, while the Fold 6 was often up-to-date. Nonetheless, this test proves that the Galaxy Ring doesn’t need a Samsung phone for full performance. It is currently available for $399.99.
