Is the Samsung Galaxy Ring waterproof?

Quick answer:

Yes, the Galaxy Ring is water-resistant, with a 10 ATM, IP68 rating. This means it can survive submersion up to 100 meters.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is here. It was teased at the Galaxy S24 Unpacked event in January and has even appeared in the software of Samsung devices running One UI 6.1. Now it’s official and looks to be an interesting addition to Samsung’s lineup.

Smart rings aren’t new; Oura has been making them for quite a while now, but the Galaxy Ring can do something different by capitalizing on the rest of Samsung’s ecosystem. Whether it will do that successfully remains to be seen, but we can now answer some important questions about the Galaxy Ring.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Ring waterproof?

The Galaxy Ring gets the same 10 ATM, IP68 rating as the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which means it’s expected to survive 100 meters. That’s impressive, and it matches the Oura Ring 3, which has the same rating.

So, what do these ratings really mean? Many of us know the numbers, but how are these things measured? The IP rating was established in 1976 to give manufacturers a standardized method to measure casings and enclosures for electronic equipment against water and dust. The name IP rating stands for “ingress protection rating.” The first number after the IP measures dust protection, with the second number referring to water ingress protection.

Remember that no matter how well-made something is, you can’t guarantee its durability, especially since protection can be compromised by knocks or drops, and waterproofing degrades over time.

An ATM, or atmosphere rating, is all about pressure. One atmosphere is equivalent to what you are feeling right now, the pressure the Earth’s atmosphere is exerting on you. That pressure increases once you’re submerged in water and gets higher the deeper you go. That’s why objects can get crushed if sent to the deepest parts of the Ocean. This is a critical factor for waterproofing a device because the seals that protect against ingress have to fight harder when water is pressurized. A rating of 1 ATM means that something can withstand the equivalent depth, or force, of 10 meters, so heavy rain, snow, a shower, or splashing. The 50 ATM rating on the Galaxy Ring means its IP rating will remain functional down to 100 meters.

Can you swim with the Galaxy Ring?

Yes, but also no

Samsung Health is excellent for swimming. I use my Galaxy Watch 6 in the pool quite often, and it tracks my style of swimming, total time spent, average length times, and number of lengths I swim. The Galaxy Ring should also do all of this, so yes, you can swim with it.

However, it should be noted that Samsung doesn’t provide warranty coverage for water damage. That’s true of most smartwatches, even though the marketing materials often include photos and videos of people swimming with them. So, while you should be fine — my Galaxy Watch 4 and 6 never had issues — it might be best to ensure the device with something like Samsung Care+ if you plan to swim regularly.

A promising device

The Galaxy Ring is expensive and odd, but it’s also promising. Something as subtle as a ring is much more comfortable than a watch for many people, and only needing to charge it once a week is much better than the two days most watches provide. It’s exciting to see where this goes, and it’s nice to see some fun and weird things in this space again, like how this thing charges.