Samsung launched its first Galaxy Ring last summer to rave reviews, and the wearable quickly rose up the ranks of the best smart rings on the market. And big changes could be in store for future versions of the Galaxy Ring.
There's no official word on a Galaxy Ring sequel from Samsung yet, though we do expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 launch at some point this year. It's likely the follow-up will appear at Samsung's mid-year Unpacked event just as the original ring did. So far, rumors largely point to battery life improvements, but Samsung could be working on additional features, either for the next Galaxy Ring or for a future version.
That's the conclusion to be drawn from a new Samsung patent spotted 91Mobiles that hints at potentially interesting new features for the smart wearable. The patent describes new sensors that measure body temperature, finger motion and potentially external temperature.
The current Galaxy Ring already comes with temperature sensors that can do things like track menstrual cycles. However, the current Galaxy Ring doesn't measure body temperature automatically. The external temperature sensor seems designed to differentiate between your body and other people or objects to possibly prevent confusion.
The patent cites an example where the ring would measure the temperature difference between you and say a hot cup of coffee. One of the patent images shows a woman putting the Ring up to her forehead suggesting that it also could be used to measure your temperature if you're sick.
The motion sensor possibility is pretty interesting as the patent suggests it's meant to determine "where it is as well as how it's being used." The sensor would track your movement patterns to determine how you're using the Galaxy Ring.
Lastly, the patent suggests that the ring could send you notifications "visually, auditorily, or tactically," meaning it could light up, make a ping type noise or vibrate in situations where it's getting concerning readings. That patent revelation could also mean Samsung is adding a display or speaker to the Ring, something that doesn't exist on any other wearable smartring as far as we're aware.
As with many tech patents, these sensors might not actually make their way into the next Galaxy Ring or even any wearables Samsung develops after that. Still, this patent hints at a very interesting future for Samsung's smart rings.
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