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What you need to know
Samsung has recently filed a patent related to its forthcoming smart ring, known as the Galaxy Ring, which introduces an innovative charging method reminiscent of the charging mechanism used for the S Pen. The illustrations accompanying this patent depict a circular slot positioned on the rear of a Galaxy smartphone, hinting at a versatile charging interface for the ring. While patents often serve as preliminary concepts rather than confirmed products, another related filing has surfaced, showcasing the Galaxy Ring with a “resizable” internal design.
The Korean tech giant’s new patent, as highlighted in a post by SamMobile, reveals a charging configuration that enables the Galaxy Ring to be powered through a Galaxy phone. The patent titled “Electronic Device Comprising Seating Structure” envisions a scenario where the ring can be inserted into a circular recess on the smartphone’s backside for charging purposes.
A sketch provided in the patent documentation illustrates the concept, showing the Galaxy Ring positioned around a circular peg, similar to the current charging design of the S Pen within its case. The draft lacks specifics on whether the ring would be flush against the phone’s surface during charging or protrude slightly from it.
The patent abstract offers additional insights, suggesting that Samsung may extend this charging approach to its foldable devices and “specific cases.” Moreover, it mentions the potential for the Galaxy Ring to transmit “health and fitness data” when connected for charging, hinting at a multifunctional capability.
Despite the intriguing nature of these concepts, the reality of seeing such innovations materialize remains uncertain without concrete announcements from Samsung. Given the recent trend of slimmer smartphone designs, there’s a possibility that these ideas may not come to fruition. Speculations have even surfaced regarding the potential removal of the S Pen digitizer from the next Galaxy Z Fold model to achieve a thinner profile, which underscores the challenges of integrating additional features into compact devices.
In the past, Samsung has revealed other ambitious patent designs for the Galaxy Ring. One particularly exciting patent from October proposed the integration of elastic internal components that could allow the ring to adjust its size for a better fit on various fingers. This earlier design described the ring as “transformable,” with mechanisms for resizing that included multiple internal segments to accommodate different finger sizes.
While these concepts are intriguing, they remain speculative. With growing anticipation for the Galaxy Ring 2, rumors indicate that Samsung might unveil this next-generation device soon, possibly featuring improvements such as enhanced battery life and a more streamlined design. Recent reports suggest that Samsung is exploring the integration of “dream batteries,” or all-solid-state batteries, in the upcoming model, which could significantly enhance the battery capacity of the Galaxy Ring.
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