Samsung set to take on Oura with its own smart Galaxy Ring

If you want to keep an eye on your health and fitness, a good smartwatch is a handy bit of kit. The onboard sensors allow you to monitor your health and wellbeing, giving insight into what's going on inside your body.

If you aren't a fan of them, there are other options. Most notably, smart rings are growing in popularity. These devices offer a similar suite of monitoring in a much more discreet package. The Oura Ring is the most popular device of this kind.

But they may soon have a strong competitor. Samsung are reportedly taking steps to enter that market, with a device which may be dubbed the Samsung Galaxy Ring.

Little is currently known about the specifications of Samsung's device. However, an agreement has been reached with a Japanese company to produce the printed circuit boards for the device, as per The Elec.

Rumours have suggested that ECG and PPG sensors will be found on the device. That's a good sign for health tracking, though nothing is set in stone just yet.

There's also no indication of when the device is expected to release. Given that arrangements are only just being made for prototype circuitry, it's unlikely to be a near-term project for the brand.

Regardless, it's an important move. While brands like Oura have enjoyed some success with the format, this would mark the first time a major brand has taken it on. In terms of widespread public acceptance, that's a big deal. People are far more trusting of a new device from a respected name, so Samsung getting in on the act could drastically widen the market for this kind of device.

It's far from the only new product for the brand. The Galaxy Unpacked event is set to take place next week, with new products rumoured in a host of categories. Expect a couple of foldable phones, updates to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 range and possibly even a new tablet range.

Plus, the brand are still working on an XR headset to rival the Apple Vision Pro. That project is ongoing in partnership with Google and Qualcomm, though delays have been rumoured. That's in part because of the display technology on the Apple device, which is said to be more advanced than that of the Samsung consortium.