The past year has marked a real revolution in the world of wearable devices. While smartwatches have already become a standard product, tech giants and the financial world are now turning to more discreet accessories that seamlessly integrate into daily life – smart rings, medical contact lenses, and even connected jewelry used for payments.
This trend, initially led by start-ups with products like the Oura Ring, is now gaining significant momentum with the entry of the tech giants into the field. In Israel, the revolution is happening in two parallel tracks: First, Samsung leads Apple with its smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, available at Partner; and second, the credit company Isracard launches an innovative payment ring that competes for the same finger.
The All-Powerful Ring
The Partner communications group announced that it will begin selling the Galaxy Ring on its website and at select branches. This is a significant step in making advanced wearable technologies more accessible to the Israeli market, which is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of tracking personal health data.
The Israeli consumer, who has shown rapid adoption of wearable technologies in recent years, will now be able to purchase the smart ring for NIS 1,499. Partner is also offering a significant discount of NIS 200 for those purchasing a Galaxy S25 series device, attempting to create an integrated ecosystem of smart products.
One of the greatest challenges in developing a smart ring is the need to pack advanced technology into minimal dimensions. Samsung has overcome this challenge with the Galaxy Ring – the company’s smallest wearable device ever – which comes in a sleek design, lightweight, yet durable and luxurious. The ring, offered in three colors (gold, silver, and black) and various sizes, includes a titanium frame for improved toughness and resistance to water and dust. The result is a product that looks like a luxurious piece of jewelry but hides impressive technological capabilities.
In a world where health awareness is becoming a central value, the Galaxy Ring offers a wide range of advanced monitoring capabilities, beyond what most smartwatches offer: Comprehensive health status analysis through artificial intelligence, continuous heart rate and blood oxygen level tracking, sleep quality and patterns monitoring, menstrual cycle tracking, exercise activity documentation, and calorie calculation. The significant advantage of the ring over a smartwatch is the ability to wear it 24/7, including during sleep, allowing for continuous monitoring and providing a more complete picture of health status.
One of the biggest obstacles in wearable technology is battery life. Here, the Galaxy Ring brings a significant breakthrough with up to 7 days of operation without charging, along with fast charging technology. This is an impressive achievement considering the device’s tiny dimensions.
The Smart Ring Revolution in Israel: Isracard Joins the Arena
In parallel with the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, Isracard is also joining the wearable tech revolution with the launch of an innovative and stylish payment ring. The ring allows customers to easily and quickly pay at any business that accepts credit card payments – simply by swiping the hand with the ring over the point-of-sale terminal.
Unlike Samsung's ring, the payment ring operates without a battery and without the need for a connection to electricity or the internet, and it is water-resistant. It can be used to make payments for transactions of up to NIS 300. The ring is available in various sizes and colors at an accessible price of only NIS 280 (excluding shipping).
As part of the launch, the first 2,000 Cashback Plus customers who order the ring will receive it at no cost. Initially, the ring will be available to customers holding a Cashback Plus credit card, with plans to expand availability to all Mastercard cardholders.
The ring was developed in collaboration with NEWAY, an Israeli technology company specializing in the development of wearable technologies for everyday use. After receiving the ring, customers can sign up and link their credit card through the Manage Mii wallet app, in a simple process of pairing the phone with the ring, entering credit card details, and receiving an OTP message from Isracard for activation.
Amit Sagi, Vice President of Data, Digital, and Marketing at Isracard, explains: "We are excited to bring payment convenience one step further and launch an innovative payment service using a ring. Payment through wearable accessories is another milestone in Isracard’s payment platform. We are constantly working to expand the range of innovative and customer-friendly payment solutions at an advanced standard."
