Samsung expanded its wearable lineup this summer by introducing the Galaxy Ring. As expected, the Ring packs a lot of technology into a small form factor. However, in doing so, it seems that Samsung may not have prioritized making it repairable.
The team at iFixit recently conducted a teardown of the Galaxy Ring and confirmed that if the device gets damaged, it can’t be repaired.
Samsung has taken several steps to make its first smart ring durable. The Galaxy Ring boasts an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, can withstand deep water pressure, and features a Grade 5 titanium frame for scratch and impact protection.
While all of this is impressive and serves its purpose well, one component that inevitably degrades over time is the battery. And unfortunately, replacing the Galaxy Ring’s battery is a near-impossible feat. The battery is sealed within the device, so it’s inaccessible without destroying the ring itself.
iFixit also shared a computed tomography (CT) scan of the ring, revealing just how tightly packed the internal components are. The long strip on the right side is the battery. Due to its lack of repairability, every Galaxy Ring Samsung sells will eventually become e-waste after its limited lifespan.
Despite its non-repairable nature, the Galaxy Ring packs a surprising amount of tech into its compact form. It features the Nordic Semiconductor nRF5340 system on a chip that has 2x Arm Cortex-M33 cores, paired with 512 KB RAM, 1 MB storage as well as Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity.
Additionally, there’s a tiny wireless charging coil and a battery pack next to it and an NFC tag as well as an antenna for transferring signal between the ring and your paired smartphone.
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