By Bitwave 
When you say "wearables," people generally think of smartwatches. However, 2024 was a relatively quiet year for smartwatches, with iterative updates taking center stage. This is not unusual in a maturing category, where innovation often gives way to refinement and polish. But what’s exciting is that the energy and experimentation that characterized the early days of wearables are starting to bubble up again – this time with smart rings.
The Resurgence of Smart Rings
Smart rings are not new, but 2024 saw a sort of renaissance for the category. In January, several smart rings made an appearance at CES, and then Samsung announced its long-rumored Galaxy Ring in February. This move by Samsung was significant, as it marked the company’s entry into a new wearable category. With its reputation as a major player in the smartwatch space, Samsung’s foray into smart rings propels this niche form factor into the mainstream.
A New Wave of Smart Rings
The newer crop of smart rings is exciting because it includes some innovative and unconventional ideas. The Galaxy Ring, for instance, can work in tandem with Samsung’s Galaxy Watches to optimize battery life and sensor accuracy. When paired with a Z Fold 6 or a Z Flip 6, it can recognize a pinching gesture to control the phone’s camera. While this feature may be seen as a way to lock users into Samsung’s ecosystem, it’s undeniable that these are new use cases for smart rings.
Innovations from Samsung and Others
It’s not just Samsung that is pushing the boundaries with its smart ring offerings. The Circular Slim, for example, lets you set silent haptic alarms and attempt an in-app AI chatbot – a bold move in a category often dominated by health tracking features. Movano’s Evie Ring caught my eye for its open-gap design while ambitiously pursuing FDA clearance for its metrics. Even Casio is getting in on the fun with its take on a more retro, low-tech smart ring.
The Importance of Competition
It’s especially refreshing to see new ideas when you consider that Oura has pretty much dominated this space for the past decade. Oura primarily focuses on sleep tracking and recovery – and it does it very well. However, up until recently, we’ve only really thought of smart rings as health trackers. The competition in the market is good for Oura, with the company launching new features at a steady clip and exploring new integrations with continuous glucose monitors.
The Challenges Facing Smart Rings
Smart rings aren’t going to be on every finger in 2025. They’re expensive, and when compared to similarly priced smartwatches, they don’t do quite as much. They’re also challenging to make precisely because they’re so small – requiring even smaller components. And let’s not forget fit; manufacturers have to account for a wide range of finger sizes and seasonal swelling.
The Future of Smart Rings
For all these reasons, I’m not sure how smart rings will fare in the year ahead. We don’t yet know how Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is doing in terms of sales. But if it does well, especially as an accessory to other gadgets, you can bet it’ll pique the interest of Google and Apple. (Even though Oura CEO Tom Hale is adamant that Apple won’t dip its toes into the smart ring space.)
Interest in Smart Rings
What I do know is that during my summer of wearing six smart rings, I fielded a ton of questions from curious friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances. Some were just sick of smartwatches and wanted to return to a good ol’ Casio. Others wanted something beautiful and discreet. A few were extremely into sleepmaxxing – a viral trend where people try to optimize their sleep quality – and thus heavily invested in something comfortable and long-lasting to track their sleep.
Will the Renaissance Continue?
The interest is there, but the question remains: will this renaissance continue or will we go back to Oura being the only game in town?
Smart Rings in 2025
- Will Samsung’s Galaxy Ring be a success?
- Will other manufacturers follow suit?
- How will competition impact the market?
- Will smart rings become more mainstream, or will they remain a niche product?
Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – the renaissance of smart rings is an exciting development in the world of wearables.