Samsung has reportedly ordered 150% more Galaxy Ring units to suppliers than it originally envisaged. If it managed to pull off the increased sales forecast, the Galaxy Ring will sell more smart ring units than more established players like Oura since their inception in 2017, patent wars notwithstanding.
The South Korean electronics giant was very cautious with the initial sales estimate for the Galaxy Ring, as it didn’t want to get caught with unsold inventory if the new wearable form factor or its features prove unpopular. The general Galaxy buying public seems to want Samsung to put a Ring on it, however, especially in China.
While Samsung initially ordered 400,000 Galaxy Ring units to suppliers, it has now reportedly sent them a memo that asks if they can cope with an order for 600,000 more units by the end of the year. The Galaxy Ring will apparently work with other Android phones, too, and one industry insider was even told that iOS support is in the cards, too, albeit not at launch.
Given that the Galaxy Ring goes into general sale only tomorrow, July 24th, Samsung apparently expects to sell 200,000 units every month from now until year’s end. At $400 a pop, the Galaxy Ring could thus very well bring $800 million in revenue for Samsung, not a bad result for a novel form factor without a display, hinge, or other complex components.
For those who don’t want a bulky smartwatch, the Galaxy Ring can serve as a more accurate and comfortable sleep tracker, and it also offers health and fitness functions. Granted, it is priced as much as a good smartwatch, but the competition offers their wares at a similar price, or it has gone with the subscription model, whereas the Galaxy Ring and all of its features are a one-time purchase.
Samsung filed a preemptive patent invalidation lawsuit against the makers of the biggest Galaxy Ring competitor from Oura even before the Ring’s announcement. The counter lawsuit aims to establish that the Galaxy Ring doesn’t infringe on Oura’s IP, so Samsung has apparently expected to be stricken with a patent trial and didn’t want to be mired in any sales bans in the meantime, like what happened with the Apple Watch.
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he’s keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
