For some time, technology companies have been in search of the next big innovation beyond smartphones. The focus now seems to be shifting to the market of mobile accessories, where smart rings appear to be the next intriguing development on the horizon.

A recent opinion piece published on the British technology site T3, with the catchy title, "Forget the Samsung Galaxy Ring, I want a Garmin Smart Ring instead," highlights the growing interest in this emerging technology. However, there is just one issue: neither of the smart rings mentioned actually exists yet. Thus, the audience has neither forgotten nor even had the chance to familiarize themselves with these innovations, purportedly to come from the South Korean electronics giant, Samsung. The closest these products came to market was at an event in San Jose, California, this past January where, as a teaser at the end of the presentation for a new phone series, a computer-generated image of a smart ring appeared on the massive screen behind the stage. While the final product is not yet available, a few prototype models were showcased to select international journalists and renowned technology analysts after the event.

It seems certain that Samsung will eventually release the smart ring. For now, details are scarce and predominantly based on rumors and hearsay, but there is already a fair amount of buzz. One rumor suggests that the ring will be available in a wide range of sizes up to European size 70, measured by the inner circumference in millimeters. Those who have tried it have reported that the ring is "ridiculously light" and comfortable enough to be worn 24/7 despite being packed with sensors. According to industry speculation, the company plans to utilize "the best available sensor technology" in order to track the wearer's health metrics on a device much smaller than a smartwatch. Features are likely to include pulse and sleep monitoring, and may also extend to measuring blood oxygen levels and even body temperature.