Samsung Galaxy Ring is "irrepairable" if damaged - iFixit Claims
Samsung has entered the smart ring market with the introduction of the Galaxy Ring, which is packed with advanced technology in a compact body. However, the Galaxy Ring has a major flaw - a recent teardown by the iFixit team revealed that the device cannot be fixed if it malfunctions or runs out of battery.
The iFixit team also discovered that the Galaxy Ring's battery cannot be replaced without causing damage to the device, similar to the Oura Ring. This makes it a disposable tech accessory, as it's not designed to last more than two years. According to iFixit, this disposable design is due to the lithium battery, which generally loses its ability to hold a charge after about 400 cycles. This is why the Oura Ring, a comparable product, does not include the battery in its one-year warranty.
To reach these findings, iFixit collaborated with Lumafield, a company that specializes in tomography equipment, to examine the Galaxy Ring’s internal structure before disassembly. Tomography images revealed that the ring contains a lithium polymer battery, sensors, and induction coils for charging, all of which are fixed inside with epoxy glue, so users cannot replace or repair them.
The Galaxy Ring is powered by a Nordic Semiconductor nRF5340 SoC, which features a dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 chip, 512KB RAM, 1MB internal memory, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC support. The device weighs 2.3-3.0 grams and is designed for continuous 24/7 health monitoring. The ring also features a battery capacity indicator and a 19.5mAh battery that can last for a week on a single charge.
The Galaxy Ring comes in three colors - black, silver, and gold - and offers nine size options. The price of the Galaxy Ring in the US is $399. Unfortunately, Samsung is not alone in producing unrepairable devices. Google recently confirmed that its Pixel Watch 3 smartwatch is also unrepairable, and users will receive a new watch if they experience any issues with their device.
