I do not doubt that some of you reading this will get a Galaxy Ring under the Christmas tree or as one of your eight presents for Hannukah. Samsung has been running a cadre of deals on wearables. If you do receive such a device, even if it’s not the Galaxy Ring, you should know that smart rings scratch up pretty quickly.
Of course, they scratch up. They are not made of pure gold or silver like traditional jewelry, and most of what you see on the outside is merely a coat of sheen between your finger and the inside components. However, I wasn’t prepared for how normalized the idea is among companies to suggest that users not wear the ring when performing vigorous, hands-requiring activities. To this, I ask: What is the point of a smart ring that can always track everything if you have to take it off for certain activities? Who will track my steps if I take it off?
I wasn’t prepared for how quickly the scratches would happen as I was living life. I genuinely stuck to the Galaxy Ring, as if it were a piece of jewelry that was a part of my regular wardrobe. I wear it to wash dishes and to roll out my mat for yoga. I wear it while taking Peloton classes and helping break down boxes to stuff into the recycling bin. As life happens, I wear the Galaxy Ring to track my effort, the way that Samsung showed me I could in its marketing.
The Galaxy Ring does such a good job of tracking steps and sleep that I’ve acquiesced to the fact that the bottom of the size nine ring I received in July for review is now tattered up in a bespoke way. It’s kind of cool, if you think about it, like a real piece of jewelry with scratches that are all special to you.
It’s not how the company sees it. According to Samsung’s UK user guide, this isn’t how you’re supposed to use the Galaxy Ring. There’s a whole section on preventing scratches, and most of the manufacturer’s suggestions effectively insist that you don’t wear it. Samsung says not to wear your ring if you’re gripping dumbbells, iron bars, and anything else you’d encounter in an exercise bootcamp class—an example I provide because that’s precisely where I’d want to wear the smart ring. Another suggestion says to remove the ring when handling heavy objects and to wear it on the hand you use the least. Samsung also clarifies on another support page that scratches to the Galaxy Ring aren’t covered by warranty.
If you try to Google for help with scratches on the Galaxy Ring, you’ll be met with dozens of Reddit posts and community forums complaining about how easily it seems to get nicked. “I bought the silver one and got a small scratch the first day,” writes one user, a mere 26 days ago. Another user, in a thread from July, describes my experience with the black titanium version of the Galaxy Ring: “I haven’t had this thing on for 2 days, and it’s already starting to peel back to the silver material under the finish. I can’t even imagine what this would begin to look like after a month.”
I can! Scroll up if you need to see the pictures again. I didn’t notice the silver rim forming until about a month ago. When I pop it into its charger, I stare a little to see how much more the bottom of the ring has degraded since the last time I took it off. It’s not noticeable to anyone but me since only I can see it when I flip over my finger to the underside. But I have to try hard not to think about it. I justify that this kind of aged-by-me flair on the ring lets me claim it as a one-of-a-kind gadget device. It also means I can easily pick it up from a lineup of other similar-looking black smart rings should I ever misplace it.
It is the holiday, so I haven’t heard back from Samsung yet. I asked them if this kind of aesthetic scratch-up would hurt the value of a trade-in when the time comes. Samsung has said that devices should have “no breaks, cracks, or other defects beyond normal wear and tear.” Here’s to hoping the company is soft on the “wear and tear” part since this seems to be a common experience for Galaxy Ring wearers.
If you get a smart ring from Santa or whoever, the number one suggestion on the internet seems to be to grab a silicone cover to avoid scratching the chassis. These covers are available aplenty on Amazon and other online buy-fast-now retailers. The only bummer is that they will likely add bulk to the chunky ring. I don’t see myself adopting this kind of usage since I already struggle with my fingers constantly fluctuating in size.