iFixit has performed a teardown of the Samsung Galaxy Ring, and the conclusion is clear: If the $399 or €449 smart ring gets damaged or its battery dies, it’s useless. There’s no way to replace the Galaxy Ring’s battery without destroying the entire device, and the rest of the components are soldered together, so good luck with any repairs. To disassemble the Galaxy Ring, you have to melt the epoxy layer on the inside and remove it with an awl.
Samsung Galaxy Ring Disassembly
iFixit also shared a CT scan of the Galaxy Ring that gives us our best look at the inside of the device yet.
Fitting the multitude of components inside the Galaxy Ring’s thin frame is a true marvel of engineering, but that’s also its downside, as everything is sealed and made in such a way that no repairs can be made.
Galaxy Ring introduces Nordic Semiconductor nRF5340 System-on-a-chip offering two Arm Cortex-M33 cores with 512KB of RAM, 1MB of storage, and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity. There’s also a small wireless charging coil and a battery next to it, as well as an NFC tag and an antenna to transfer the signal between the ring and the paired smartphone.
Galaxy Ring Disassembly Procedure
What’s interesting is that the Galaxy Ring’s charging coil isn’t soldered onto the printed circuit board (PCB) like other smart rings, instead opting for a snap-on connector that makes it easy to repair. The irony is that the PCB is sealed into the Galaxy Ring’s frame, so there’s no way to replace the component without breaking the ring.
Galaxy Ring Disassembly Procedure Part 2