The best smart ring for Android: one for Samsung phones, one for the rest

The first question: is your phone a Samsung Galaxy?

Every ring on this page works with Android. What splits the list is the brand of your phone. Samsung's Galaxy Ring works on any Android phone running Android 11 or newer, but it saves several features for Samsung's own phones. None of the other makers lists features that depend on which brand of Android phone you own.

So the answer comes in two parts:

• You carry a Samsung Galaxy phone: the Galaxy Ring is our pick. No fee, a charging case in the box, sizes 5-15, and the whole feature set works.
• You carry any other Android phone: the RingConn Gen 2 is our pick. No fee, Android 10 or newer, and nothing reserved for one brand's phones.

That's why a ring with a lower overall score (the Galaxy Ring, 9.0) sits above our top-rated no-fee ring (RingConn Gen 2, 9.5) on this page. The Galaxy Ring's biggest penalty in our rubric is phone support: no iPhone, and features locked to Samsung phones. For a Samsung owner, that penalty mostly doesn't apply. Its other big weakness, published evidence, still does, and we come back to it below. If you want the whole no-fee field regardless of phone, start with the best smart rings without a subscription.

What a non-Samsung Android phone loses with the Galaxy Ring

Samsung is upfront about this. Its Canadian buy page says the ring is supported on Samsung Galaxy phones and on other brands' Android phones from Android 11, and that “some features, such as Double Pinch and Find My Ring does not work on Android smartphones of other brands” ( Samsung). Its US page adds that “Energy Score insights ... require compatible Samsung Galaxy AI phone, Samsung Health app and Samsung account,” and that “select Galaxy AI features require compatible Samsung Galaxy phone” (Samsung US).

• Double Pinch: Samsung's gesture feature for the ring. Samsung phones only.
• Find My Ring: locating a lost ring. Samsung phones only, which matters for something this small.
• Energy Score insights: Samsung describes Energy Score as your “physical readiness based on yesterday's sleep, heart rate and activities.” The insights need a compatible Samsung Galaxy AI phone.
• Select Galaxy AI features: a compatible Samsung Galaxy phone.

Android Police checked this at launch (July 2024) and listed Energy Score, Galaxy AI health recommendations, Find My Ring and gestures as unavailable on non-Samsung phones. Because Samsung names the features that don't work rather than calling the ring Samsung-only, core sleep and heart rate tracking does work on other Android 11+ phones. You'd just be paying for a ring whose extras you can't use, when a RingConn gives you its full feature set on the same phone.

Every ring's Android support

Here's what each maker publishes about Android, lowest requirement first:

• Circular Ring 2: “Android 9 and later,” per Circular's homepage. An older help page lists a different version; we use the current product wording.
• RingConn Gen 2 and Gen 2 Air: Android 10.0 or newer.
• RingConn Gen 3: iPhone and Android, per The Gadgeteer's review. We didn't find a published minimum version.
• Samsung Galaxy Ring: Android 11 or newer, with the Samsung-only features above.
• Oura Ring 5: “Available on iOS and Android.” No minimum version on the pages we checked.
• Ultrahuman Ring PRO: Data unavailable. Ultrahuman doesn't state Ring PRO's phone requirements on its US buy page, product page or FAQ, so we left it out. It is also the most expensive ring on this site; our Ultrahuman Ring PRO review has the details.

Your phone shows its Android version in Settings, usually under About phone or Software information. The Amazfit Helio Ring also lists Android support - “Android 7.0 and above”, the lowest requirement of any ring we cover - and it is now confirmed on sale in the US. It stays off this ranking on battery, sizes and evidence rather than availability; see our Amazfit Helio Ring review.

What each ring costs to keep on Android

On Android the fee picture is simple: Oura is the only ring here that charges one. Samsung charges nothing, but asks for a Samsung phone instead, which is a cost of a different kind if you don't already own one. Oura's membership is $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US.

That's $209.97 over three years on Oura's annual plan, or $215.64 month to month, before tax and ignoring the included first month. Our explainer on whether the Galaxy Ring needs a subscription goes through what the ring asks of your phone instead of your wallet, and what a smart ring really costs over three years does the math for every brand.

If your next phone might not be a Samsung

A ring is a purchase you'll live with for years; phones get replaced. That makes the Galaxy Ring's phone lock-in a cost of ownership, not just a feature list. If your next phone is an iPhone, the Galaxy Ring has no supported phone at all. If it's another brand of Android, you keep the core tracking and lose Double Pinch, Find My Ring and Energy Score insights.

The other rings here don't carry that risk. RingConn lists both iOS 17.0+ and Android 10.0+ for Gen 2 and Gen 2 Air, Circular lists iOS 15 and Android 9 and later, and Oura supports both platforms. So if you're not sure your next phone will be a Samsung, a RingConn is the lower-risk buy even today.

How long you'll own the ring is bounded by its battery, whichever you choose. RingConn says its batteries are sealed inside and “not designed for user replacement,” and its one-year warranty excludes normal capacity loss. Our guide to how long a smart ring battery lasts collects what each brand says about aging and replacement.

How we ranked them

Every ring carries its score from our published ring rubric: cost of ownership over three years (30%), evidence of accuracy (25%), claimed battery (15%), sizing and fit (10%), data ownership (10%) and phone support (10%). The full method is on our methodology page. The scores come from brand pages, named studies and named reviewers, all linked.

We ranked the Galaxy Ring first against its score for the reason above: on a Samsung phone, its phone-support penalty doesn't bite, and it's the only ring here built around that phone. From second place down, the order follows the scores. If you don't own a Samsung phone, read this list as starting at number two.

The picks in context

1. Samsung Galaxy Ring (for Samsung Galaxy phones)

On a Samsung phone, this is a well-equipped no-fee ring: a charging case in the box (up to 14 days total, per Samsung), sizes 5 through 15 with a complimentary sizing kit, a titanium frame, 10ATM plus IP68, and HSA/FSA eligibility on Samsung's US page. It launched in July 2024. The weaknesses are real, though. Samsung rates the battery at up to 7 days for sizes 12-13 and up to 6 for smaller sizes, and GSMArena got about 5 from a size 11. We found no peer-reviewed validation of the Galaxy Ring, the biggest drag on its score. And in January 2026, Samsung (via Android Police) attributed one owner's swollen battery to a crack in the ring's internal molding and said it saw no wider battery safety risk; our battery swelling guide covers what to watch for. The Galaxy Ring review has the full picture.

2. RingConn Gen 2 (for every other Android phone)

Our pick for Pixel, Motorola, OnePlus and every other non-Samsung Android phone, and our top no-fee ring overall. It needs Android 10.0 or newer, charges nothing, and ties no features to a phone brand. RingConn claims 10-12 days per charge and up to 150 days with the included case. Sizes run 6-14 with a complimentary kit, and it's rated IP68 to 100 meters. It's the only no-fee ring we found with a chest-strap comparison of its own: a 2026 preprint (Tao et al., not peer-reviewed) found a heart rate bias of -0.42 bpm against a Polar H10 in seated athletes. Against that, Gadgets & Wearables found it read high against a chest strap on runs, and its “90.7% Sleep Apnea Monitoring Accuracy” is RingConn's own claim. See the RingConn Gen 2 review.

3. RingConn Gen 3

RingConn's newest ring: up to 14 days per charge (11-14 on its features page), 150+ days total with its charging case, and 10 sizes from 6 to 15. The Gadgeteer's reviewer got about 10 days with vibration alerts on. It adds Vascular Health Insights and Sleep Apnea Pattern Insights; RingConn says Gen 3 is “not a medical device.” It sits third because we found no published validation of Gen 3 itself, and it showed “Out of stock” on RingConn's own store when we checked, though Amazon listed it. The RingConn Gen 3 review covers it.

4. RingConn Gen 2 Air

The lowest-cost way onto this list: RingConn lists the Air below Gen 2 and Gen 3. It shares Gen 2's Android 10.0 requirement and 6-14 sizes and claims up to 10 days per charge with a 90-minute fast charge. It has no charging case and no sleep apnea monitoring, and it uses titanium steel with a PVD coating rather than Gen 2's titanium alloy. It also leads our best budget smart rings.

5. Circular Ring 2

The ring for an older Android phone: Circular lists Android 9 and later, the lowest requirement we found. It has no forced subscription, claims 8 days in power mode or 5 in performance mode, and lists single-lead ECG and AFib detection, with Circular's note that it “is not a diagnostic device.” You buy it from Circular's own store, with a one-year US warranty and 14-day returns. It runs about half a size large, some future features will cost Circular Coins, and we found no published validation of this model. More in the Circular Ring 2 review.

6. Oura Ring 5

Oura works on Android and has the strongest published evidence of any ring brand we found: Dial et al. (Physiological Reports, 2025) found Oura Gen 3 and Gen 4 agreed most closely with a Polar H10 of the wearables tested, across 536 nights in 13 adults (overnight only, previous generations). Ring 5 claims 6-9 days per charge. It ranks last because the membership never ends; without it, you see three daily scores. Our Oura Ring 5 review weighs that trade, and Oura vs Galaxy Ring sets it against our Samsung pick.

What to check before you buy a ring for your Android phone

1. Your phone's brand and Android version. Galaxy Ring needs Android 11 or newer and saves features for Samsung phones; RingConn Gen 2 and Gen 2 Air need Android 10.0 or newer; Circular lists Android 9 and later.
2. Which Samsung features you'd actually use. If Find My Ring or Energy Score insights matter and you don't own a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Ring isn't for you.
3. Your size, from the brand's kit. Samsung says Galaxy Ring sizes are “slightly different from that of regular rings,” and its Amazon listings are titled “Size First w/Sizing Kit.” RingConn and Circular have their own sizing too. Our smart ring sizing guide explains why.
4. Battery for your size. Galaxy Ring's 7-day claim applies to sizes 12 and 13 only. Our battery life guide reads every claim with its fine print.
5. Warranty and returns. Galaxy Ring's US version carries a one-year manufacturer warranty per its Amazon listing; RingConn's one-year warranty excludes normal battery capacity loss. Our warranty and returns guide compares them.

Android ring mistakes

• Buying a Galaxy Ring for a non-Samsung phone and expecting everything. The core tracking works; Double Pinch, Find My Ring and Energy Score insights don't.
• Buying for a feature that hasn't shipped. The Galaxy Ring's sleep apnea feature was announced for fall 2026. Buy the ring for what it does today.
• Assuming one ring fits the whole household. The Galaxy Ring won't work with an iPhone. If someone in your home uses one, see our best smart ring for iPhone.
• Buying your jewelry size. Every brand sizes differently, and no brand publishes a conversion to another's.

Galaxy Ring or RingConn: go deeper

If you're a Samsung owner torn between the two, our RingConn vs Galaxy Ring comparison puts battery, evidence, sizing and the Samsung-only features side by side. For every ring in one table, see the smart ring comparison chart.