Samsung has begun development of a new type of smart accessory: a ring. The news comes courtesy of ET News (translated), which is reporting that Samsung has started ordering parts and modules for the device. From the limited information available, it seems the ring would work similarly to other health trackers, like the Galaxy Watch Active 2. It is being described as capable of monitoring the health of the wearer in real time.We can expect tracking of heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and physical activity. Our fingers are saturated with arteries and capillaries, the closer proximity of the ring to the skin should enable it to take more accurate measurements. Given the measurement capabilities of Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the processing power of which is contained in a body of 45mm in circumference, it's amazing to imagine a ring being able to compute the same data in a much smaller form factor. The first known patent submission for a Samsung smart ring was from way back in 2015, after Apple initially stirred up the scene with its own submission for a smart ring patent, even though it's yet to be realized as an actual product. Ever since then, Samsung has been updating its own patents throughout the years, with the last one being from this July. One of the most interesting features listed in that document is the ability of the ring to wirelessly control other electronic devices. 

One of Samsung's earlier patent entries from last October showcased the device being able to change the slides of a digital presentation on a laptop, but that's about all we can infer from the information available right now. The ring's tiny but elaborate sensor system, as presented in the patent filings. Now all that being said, it's not completely clear if all of the patent submissions are building up into a single ring to rule them all or are configurations meant to represent separate products altogether. Samsung's patent submission history can be traced back to features such as physical buttons and screens on the ring itself. Samsung's lineup of smart accessories has a solid track record of improvement and innovation. It's truly astonishing to imagine that the same level of quality and utility can fit into just a small ring.