This is one of those updates that has been hanging over Samsung’s wearable platform for a long time. The hardware has been capable, but US users were left out while the feature expanded elsewhere. That wait is now over.

What the feature actually does

Unlike Apple’s current approach, which focuses on hypertension alerts and trends, Samsung is giving users actual estimated blood pressure numbers on the watch.

That means compatible Galaxy Watch models can provide both systolic and diastolic readings directly from the wrist. For anyone who already keeps an eye on these numbers, that makes the watch a lot more useful in everyday life, particularly for quick checks between regular cuff measurements.

The feature is available on Galaxy Watch 4 and newer devices, provided they are paired with a compatible Samsung smartphone running Android 12 or later.

There is still a catch

Before you can use it, the watch needs to be calibrated with a traditional upper-arm blood pressure monitor. Samsung also requires that calibration to be repeated every 28 days to keep the readings aligned.

So while the watch makes it easier to track trends and check numbers more conveniently, it still depends on a standard cuff in the background. In practice, this makes it more of a convenience and trend-monitoring tool than a replacement for dedicated blood pressure hardware.

The bigger picture

Smartwatch makers are clearly moving beyond the basics now. Heart rate, sleep tracking and workout stats are almost expected at this point. The real competition is shifting toward health metrics that people may actually use as part of everyday wellness monitoring.

For Galaxy Watch users in the US, this is a feature that feels long overdue. Even so, it is likely to be one of the more talked-about Samsung updates this week simply because it finally unlocks something owners have been waiting years to use.

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What Is the Snapdragon Wear Elite?

The Snapdragon Wear Elite is Qualcomm’s latest wearable chip, built on a 3nm process and designed specifically for Wear OS devices. It sits above the older Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2, and on paper the gap is significant.

Qualcomm claims up to 5x faster CPU performance and up to 7x faster GPU performance compared to that predecessor. CPU clock speeds reach up to 2.1 GHz, with a core layout of one performance core and four efficiency cores.

Memory and storage get a proper upgrade too. The chip supports LPDDR5 memory running at up to 6,400 MHz, and up to 32GB of eMMC storage. All of this is a very solid foundation for a modern smartwatch.

The AI story

It’s all seems to be about Ai these days. And the story is no different here.

Qualcomm is leaning into on-device AI harder than it has on any previous wearable chip. The Snapdragon Wear Elite includes a dedicated Hexagon NPU alongside a secondary low-power eNPU, making this the first Snapdragon wearable chip to include a proper Hexagon NPU at all. It can handle models up to two billion parameters and delivers around 10 tokens per second.

In practice, that translates to things like smart replies, text summaries, AI fitness coaching, noise cancellation, along with activity and keyword recognition, all processed locally on the device. Whether any of that lands as genuinely useful features or just bullet points on a spec sheet will largely depend on what Samsung and Google do with the software side.

Battery and power

Battery life is where most people’s attention will naturally land. Qualcomm claims up to 30 percent improvement in days of use compared to the previous generation.

The chip achieves this partly through dedicated low-power islands that handle audio, sensors, display, and the eNPU independently, meaning background tasks can tick along without waking the main CPU. Fast charging is also supported, with 50 percent charge in around 10 minutes.

Thirty percent is a nice number on paper, but Galaxy Watch users have heard efficiency promises before. The Exynos W1000 in the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra is also a 3nm chip, and battery life on those devices has been decent but not class-leading. The real test will be whether Samsung’s software and battery capacity decisions let the Snapdragon Wear Elite’s efficiency gains actually show up in daily use.

The shift away from Exynos

For Samsung, this is a important move. The Exynos W1000 is its own in-house silicon, and it has powered the Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch 8, and Galaxy Watch Ultra. Switching to Qualcomm for the next generation suggests Samsung sees the Snapdragon Wear Elite as the better option right now, particularly given its AI hardware focus and power island design, two areas where the Exynos chip does not have direct equivalents.

It is worth noting that Qualcomm has positioned the Snapdragon Wear Elite for more than just watches. The platform is also intended for pins, pendants, and hubs, which points at a broader ecosystem ambition that Samsung may or may not tap into.

When and what exactly

Qualcomm says commercial devices are coming within the next few months. Samsung confirmed the chip is coming to the next Galaxy Watch, but has not specified whether that means the Galaxy Watch 9, a new Ultra model, or both. A staggered rollout across different models is entirely possible. For anyone currently weighing up whether to buy a Galaxy Watch 8 or Ultra, that ambiguity might be enough reason to wait a little longer and see what arrives.

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Mobile World Congress is best known for phones and connectivity, but it has become a stage for broader tech. The event draws in brands building everything from smart rings to fitness trackers, as well as companies behind the chips and software that power them. Big names like Huawei, Honor, Samsung, OnePlus, Garmin and Zepp Health all have presence this year. And several of them have history launching or showcasing wearables at the event.

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 is likely

Zepp Health is widely expected to announce the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2. The name was discovered in a recent app code update, and a mystery model (A2550) was spotted in Malaysia’s SIRIM regulatory database a few days ago. Both are strong signs that launch is close, and MWC makes sense for global visibility.

The original T-Rex Ultra packed dual-band GPS, diving features and a tough build, but the sequel looks set to go further. Leaks and early speculation suggest the Ultra 2 might get a brighter 1.5-inch MicroLED screen, sapphire glass, better water resistance and a bigger battery. There’s even talk of satellite messaging and new health sensors.

Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro might appear

There’s also evidence that Xiaomi is preparing a Smart Band 10 Pro. A device labelled M2552B1 recently passed through South Korea’s NRRA certification system, which usually means a launch is on the horizon. The model number aligns with Xiaomi’s smart band line, and the timing places it close enough to MWC to raise expectations.

While Xiaomi hasn’t confirmed anything, it has a track record of debuting wearables around this show. The global version of Watch S4 appeared at MWC last year, so there’s precedent. If the Band 10 Pro does land, it could offer a larger display, better sensors, and a refreshed software interface.

Samsung unlikely to show a second ring

Samsung grabbed headlines in 2024 when it used MWC to preview its first smart ring. Two years later, the Galaxy Ring still hasn’t seen a follow-up. Legal complications are part of the reason. Oura has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission accusing Samsung of patent infringement. That case is still active.

Industry coverage suggests a second-generation ring is not on the near-term roadmap. Samsung is still expected to appear at MWC in various forms, including through partners and its software ecosystem, but the odds of a new wearable hardware launch seem low.

Separately, Unpacked is reportedly set for February 25, one week before MWC begins. That further reduces the chance of a surprise wearable reveal at the show itself.

Honor, Huawei and OnePlus all have presence

Honor has already confirmed a March 1 press event in Barcelona. It will focus on the Magic V6 foldable and an experimental “robot phone,” but that doesn’t rule out additional ecosystem news. Honor previously used MWC to discuss AI and cross-device platforms, and wearables often form part of those updates.

Huawei has its own dedicated MWC 2026 page and booth space. It tends to mix enterprise and consumer hardware at events like this, so a new smartwatch isn’t guaranteed, but it’s always on the table.

OnePlus is also expected to be present, though it launched two watches in late 2025, including the Watch 3 and Watch Lite. That makes another watch unlikely. Instead, it might talk software or update plans for its current models, possibly tying into Wear OS developments if Google has platform updates to share.

Oppo looks set to bring the Watch X3 soon, after a new model (OWW261) cleared network certification in China. The filing confirms Android support, along with LTE and eSIM capabilities, pointing to a full-featured smartwatch with standalone connectivity. If it shows up at MWC, it would offer an alternative to Wear OS devices

Oura has a keynote role

Oura may not be showing off a new product, but its CEO is confirmed as a keynote speaker at MWC. This gives the company a high-profile platform to talk about health data, partnerships and future directions. Actually, just a few days ago we spotted a patent the company has filed for smart glasses that work in conjunction with a smart ring. Are they looking to expand beyond the finger?

Even if it doesn’t launch new hardware, Oura’s appearance could influence how wearables are discussed across the event, especially in the context of sleep, recovery and smart rings. The timing also helps reinforce the narrative around why Samsung’s ring follow-up isn’t happening right now.

Other wearables and input devices

MWC often includes smaller exhibitors showing off input gear and new wearable categories. Companies like Wearable Devices Ltd. are back on the show floor with motion-control hardware such as Mudra Link. You’ll also find companies demonstrating wrist sensors and gesture interfaces, often pitched at XR or industrial markets.

Qualcomm is another name to watch. It has announced plans to unveil its full WiFi 8 platform portfolio at MWC. This isn’t strictly a wearable story, but new connectivity standards eventually trickle into devices like smartwatches and earbuds. If Qualcomm announces new wearable chipsets or reference platforms, that will be part of the long-term picture for next-gen watches.

Garmin is also present at the show through its Garmin Health division. The company is showcasing existing devices like the Venu 4, Fenix 8 and Vivoactive 6, mainly in a B2B context. It’s not expected to announce new models, but its presence reinforces how wearables connect into healthcare and enterprise solutions.

Wearables may not be front and centre at MWC 2026, but there’s enough activity across bands, rings, rugged watches, health data and connectivity to make the trip worthwhile for anyone following the space.

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Two new models lined up for 2026

The Galaxy Watch 9 looks set to continue the mainline series, possibly with a lighter, thinner build than the current Watch 8. There’s talk of updated health tracking features as well, though nothing concrete has been confirmed. It seems Samsung will stick with its familiar formula here, likely refining rather than overhauling.

As spotted first by Smartprix, the more rugged Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is also on the way. This one’s aimed at users who want durability and more serious sports features. It’s expected to pack advanced GPS and improved health and fitness tracking, which would keep it in line with other Ultra-style smartwatches on the market.

The appearance of these devices in official listings suggests they’re well into development. They’ll probably debut alongside Samsung’s next wave of foldables, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Flip 8 and another unconfirmed model, which are also expected around late summer.

Still no sign of a Galaxy Ring

What’s notably missing from this leak is any mention of the second generation Galaxy Ring. This new round of model numbers doesn’t include any smart ring references, which suggests we may not see one in 2026 at all.

That absence shouldn’t come as a shock. Samsung has been locked in an ongoing legal dispute with Oura, which currently dominates the smart ring market. That kind of friction could delay things further or even put the product on hold indefinitely. Unless there’s a surprise announcement tucked into one of Samsung’s launch events, 2026 might be all about foldables and watches.

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UnaliWear takes on the big players

The complaint comes from UnaliWear, a Texas-based company known for the Kanega Watch, a safety device designed for older adults. Unlike typical smartwatches, it does not require a smartphone and includes unique features like hot-swappable batteries built into the strap. The focus of this case is what they call RealFall, an AI-driven system that detects actual falls while avoiding false alarms triggered by normal movement.

UnaliWear claims that Apple, Google (via Fitbit), Garmin and Samsung all use similar technology in their wearable devices. They argue that these companies infringe on several of their patents, including US Patent 10,140,836 and US Patent 10,403,115. Both cover machine learning methods that help distinguish genuine falls from regular daily motion. According to UnaliWear, this isn’t just about copying a feature. It’s about adopting a patented solution to a very specific health challenge.

What’s at stake in this ITC investigation

The legal action is being taken through the United States International Trade Commission, under Investigation Number 337-TA-1477. This route allows UnaliWear to request a limited exclusion order. If granted, it could block the import of certain smartwatches and rings into the US. A ban like this would hit all four companies involved, including best-selling devices like the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch.

This isn’t the only legal route UnaliWear is pursuing. The company has also filed separate cases in multiple US district courts. But the ITC process moves much faster and can result in product bans well before monetary damages are awarded.

Procedural steps and the timeline ahead

The case officially began on January 8, 2026, when the ITC voted to institute the investigation. Respondents now have 20 days to file their initial responses, which means formal replies from Apple and the others should arrive by late January. By late February, the commission will set a target date for the investigation to wrap up. This usually gives a window of 15 to 18 months, putting a decision somewhere in mid 2027.

In the meantime, both sides will spend most of the year locked in discovery. This includes document exchanges, expert reports and eventually a trial-like evidentiary hearing later in 2026. One key moment will be the Markman hearing, where the judge decides how to interpret the language in the patents. These technical definitions can often shape the outcome.

Once the judge issues an initial determination in early 2027, the full commission will review the findings. If they confirm that infringement occurred, a limited exclusion order could follow. From there, the US President has 60 days to review the decision. It’s rare for a president to override it. If upheld, customs officials would start blocking the affected devices from entering the country.

The company behind the patents

UnaliWear was founded in 2013 by Jean Anne Booth, who previously sold startups to both Apple and Texas Instruments. The Kanega Watch was built to support seniors living independently, especially those without access to smartphones. The name UnaliWear blends Cherokee roots meaning friend and speak, a nod to the company’s goal of giving users a voice during emergencies.

To date, the company has raised over $20 million in funding. Their tech has always focused on safety first, with RealFall as the key innovation. What makes their argument stand out is that they built this feature for a very specific demographic, long before the larger brands adopted similar capabilities.

Does UnaliWear stand a chance of winning?

UnaliWear looks well placed to push this case forward. The ITC has shown more support for smaller US firms lately, especially after Masimo’s high-profile win against Apple. On top of that, the founder’s background as an engineer with successful exits to Apple and Texas Instruments gives the company’s patents a technical edge that’s hard for bigger players to dismiss.

A full import ban on major wearables like the Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch might not happen, but the threat of it gives UnaliWear real negotiating power. A possible outcome is a set of licensing deals where each company pays a royalty to keep using fall detection and related features. If that happens, UnaliWear shifts from a hardware maker to a key gatekeeper of fall detection tech across the entire wearables market.

It’s now up to the ITC to decide whether the big players went too far. The outcome could reshape what fall detection looks like in smartwatches going forward.

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How Apple privacy labels actually work

Every iOS app now includes a section called App Privacy. This lists what types of data the app collects and why. It’s Apple’s attempt to bring structure and transparency to mobile data practices without forcing users to read long policies.

The labels break data into 35 types across 16 categories. Think of things like Name, Email, Health Data, Identifiers, Location, and so on. Each type must be matched with one or more purposes, such as App Functionality, Analytics, Advertising, or Product Personalization.

If a developer declares a type for App Functionality only, Apple assumes the data is used solely to make the app work. If they include anything beyond that, like analytics or marketing, it gets flagged as used beyond core functionality. Apple also has a specific section for tracking. If that appears, it means the app is sharing data across services for advertising or measurement purposes.

To keep things simple, we looked at just three things for each app:

• First, how many data types each app collects in total.
• Second, how many of those are used for more than just app functionality.
• Third, whether Apple shows a tracking section at all.

What we found in the data

All data was gathered manually from the App Privacy sections as of January 13, 2026.

Here’s how it looks:

What stands out is how varied the data use is between apps that might appear similar at first glance. Strava, Nike Training Club, Runna and Peloton all declare tracking under Apple’s rules. That means at least one type of data is used in a way that links it across services or apps for ad-related purposes.

Others like Fitbit and Whoop collect a high number of data types and use most of them beyond pure functionality, but stop short of what Apple defines as tracking. Mi Fitness and Runna sit at the opposite end, with more data locked down for internal use.

Garmin, Samsung and Zepp Health land in the middle. Their apps collect moderate amounts of data, but Apple’s labels suggest they are mostly used within each company’s own ecosystem.

Polar Flow stands out for how little data it collects. It only declares five data types total, and just two are used beyond basic app functionality. That makes it the most restrained app in our whole review. Peloton is also privacy friendly.

What this actually tells us

Of course, Apple’s privacy labels don’t reveal everything. They don’t measure how much data is sent, or how often, or what happens on the server side. But they do make one thing very clear: not all fitness apps treat your data the same way.

Tracking isn’t the same as advertising, and not all data used beyond functionality is bad. But when an app collects 20+ data types and links them to ad purposes or third-party services, that’s useful to know.

This article is based on data compiled by Gadgets & Wearables.

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Samsung pivots to brain health monitoring

Under the banner of Brain Health, Samsung is rolling out a suite of features within its Health app designed to keep tabs on your mental sharpness. The software doesn’t offer a diagnosis but instead builds a picture of your typical speech, sleep, and movement patterns, alerting you and your family when things begin to drift.

The monitoring tools tap into existing hardware like the Galaxy Watch’s accelerometer and the Ring’s motion sensors. Voice commands to Bixby are analyzed for signs of slurring or changes in speech cadence. Subtle tremors and gait variability are tracked passively during daily movement. The idea is to flag changes that often precede visible symptoms of cognitive decline.

In a slightly more ambient touch, Samsung is also watching how you interact with other connected devices in your home. For instance, if your response time to smart lights or media controls noticeably slows, it might prompt a check-in. These interaction metrics form part of a broader shift away from reactive health tools to something more proactive and preventative.

AI-powered alerts and brain training

AI sits at the heart of the system. A model learns your baseline over time, then looks for deviations. When it spots something unusual, the service sends alerts to both the user and selected contacts. There’s also a set of brain training tools built in, nudging users to stay cognitively active.

Samsung plans to link the Brain Health metrics to the Xealth platform it recently acquired. That means sharing your data with your doctor could be as simple as tapping a button, setting the stage for remote consultations around cognitive health.

Some of the insights tie into the kitchen as well. Samsung’s Bespoke appliances, especially its smart fridges, will reportedly serve up recipe suggestions aimed at supporting mental function, adapting based on detected trends.

Built with privacy and clinical testing in mind

To reassure users, Samsung is keeping everything local. Sensitive health data never leaves the device. Samsung Knox handles encryption and privacy, and a refreshed Knox Matrix is being used to lock down the AI models that power all this.

Development of the detection algorithms happened in-house, but Samsung has now partnered with medical institutions to validate the findings. The beta is launching in South Korea and the US first, and the company made clear this is not about replacing doctors but extending what health tech can do between visits.

This tracks with existing research. A multi-year study out of the University of Exeter showed AI models could predict onset of dementia with up to 92 percent accuracy using memory clinic data. The system even outperformed traditional methods and managed to catch misdiagnosed cases. It did this by picking up on patterns across test results, speech, reasoning, and daily habits that often elude human practitioners.

Samsung’s implementation appears to be heading in the same direction. By learning an individual’s normal speech and movement over time, the Galaxy ecosystem could provide a meaningful layer of early warning -ideally well before the condition becomes apparent in a clinical setting.

What’s next

The Brain Health service will roll out as a beta in the coming months. It arrives alongside broader health upgrades like vascular load tracking and antioxidant analysis. All of it ties into Samsung’s Care Companion strategy, which includes a wide range of chronic condition monitoring features already in development.

What makes this shift interesting is not just the use of AI, but the move to link consumer wearables with serious clinical outcomes. If the system works as intended, it could become part of how families first learn something might be wrong – hopefully long before a doctor is ever involved.

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A few days ago we looked at how these same companies performed in 2025 alone. That gave a useful snapshot of short-term momentum. But the three-year view is the better way to judge who’s actually built long-term strength, and who’s just had a good run.

The five-year timeframe pulls in older trends that no longer reflect current dynamics in this space. A lot has changed since 2022, both in product direction and investor focus.

Three years is the perfect period to capture the shift towards AI integration across wearables. These are still early days and AI will be central to future growth of the category.

From Zepp to Apple, how the major names stack up

The table below shows the stock performance of major players in the wearable space from the end of 2022 through to December 30, 2025. We’ve also included the 2025 one year per cent change, for reference. As mentioned, you can read about that in our separate piece.

As can be seen, the standout once again is Zepp Health. Its stock surged over 370 percent in three years, multiplying an initial $1,000 investment into nearly $4,800. Not bad! The 1-year return in 2025 was even more dramatic, but the broader trajectory confirms that this isn’t just a fluke. That said, Zepp’s 2023 and early 2024 performance was more subdued. The bulk of the spike happened in the past twelve months. Along with some sharp falls.

Alphabet and Xiaomi also saw strong long-term returns. In both cases, wearables are just part of their broader AI strategies. Samsung’s doubling is similarly tied to its platform investments and strong product cadence. Garmin may look flat in 2025, but zooming out shows that it more than doubled over the three year period.

Apple’s numbers also experienced steady growth. But with a three-year gain of 110 percent, it slightly trails companies that have been more aggressive with feature rollouts and AI investments.

Looking ahead

AI-driven health and productivity tools are now shaping the wearable conversation. Companies that build those into their platforms, not just as features but as ecosystems, will likely define the next investor cycle.

Zepp Health has momentum, but the challenge now is sustainability. Alphabet and Samsung are better diversified and may prove more resilient. Garmin needs to show more of its roadmap. Apple, as always, remains hard to bet against.

But in this space, a lot can change in a short time. And with the pace of AI advancement, anything is possible in 2026!

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It’s the end of the year, so now’s a good time to take stock – literally. The focus here is smartwatch and fitness band makers. We’re looking at how their publicly traded shares performed across the full 12 months of 2025, comparing opening and closing prices, and highlighting which names delivered the biggest returns for investors.

Table of 2025 stock performance

Here’s a snapshot of how major listed smartwatch and fitness band makers performed from the start to the end of 2025.

A volatile year for the standout winner

Zepp Health delivered the most eye-catching return of 2025. It began the year trading at 2.60 dollars, climbed to a high of over 60, and closed at 27.43. That’s a gain of 955 percent, turning every thousand invested into over ten grand.

But the path there wasn’t smooth. The stock was actually one of the most volatile in the sector, reflecting both speculative interest and uncertainty.

Its steep rise coincided with a broader push into hardware and work on developing its health tracking platform. Investors appeared to respond not just to products like the Balance 2 and Helio series, but to the shift in Zepp Health’s positioning from budget-focused brand to a company that is closing the gap on main players such as Garmin. It is also likely that its stock was undervalued at the beginning of the year.

So if you invested in Zepp Health 12 months ago you’d be much better off today. But if you invested in the middle of the year, you could be sitting on a big loss. Timing is everything.

Comparing general tech giants and wearable-first brands

While Zepp Health is a wearable pure play, many others on the list are not. Apple, Xiaomi, Alphabet and Samsung generate most of their revenue from smartphones, services, cloud infrastructure or chips. That means their stock movements reflect far more than just their wearable product lines.

Apple posted a modest 9.11 percent gain, ending the year at 273.23 dollars. It was a relatively quiet year for Apple Watch, and although new features arrived, investor focus remained on AI, Mac sales, and regulatory news.

Alphabet did much better, climbing 66 percent. The market rewarded its software convergence story as Fitbit and Pixel Watch moved closer together, backed by a cleaner wearables UI and better integration across devices.

Samsung doubled its share price and is closing the year at highs. Though wearable performance contributed, the result also came from strong memory sales, chip growth and AI tools baked into its Android ecosystem.

Xiaomi had a smaller rise, closing the year up just under 16 percent. It was helped by growth across its product categories, not just smart bands.

Citizen’s return of nearly 39 percent is notable given it rarely dominates headlines. The Japanese watchmaker continues to explore hybrid and connected watches in niche segments, and investor confidence seems to have ticked upward despite limited smartwatch exposure compared to others in the list.

Garmin and Mobvoi struggled to excite investors

Garmin’s stock dipped slightly across the year, despite strong product updates in its Fenix, Venu and Forerunner lines. It’s not a failure, but it reflects a flat investor response to premium multi-sport watches that increasingly face pressure from cheaper competitors and alternative form factors like rings and patches. Also, the market reacted negatively in October to lower growth projections.

Mobvoi saw a bigger drop, ending the year down 21.7 percent. Its TicWatch line remains active and competitive in terms of specs, but visibility in Western markets is patchy. The company may also be pulling back from the smartwatch space and focusing on AI devices, instead.

Fossil is publicly traded. But the once smartwatch player, has now stepped back from the space to refocus on traditional watches. Hence, we have not included it in the comparisons.

Key wearable brands missing from public markets

You’ll notice that some of the biggest names in wearables don’t appear in this kind of stock roundup. Huawei remains a private firm, as does Polar. Suunto is now owned by Liesheng and is not listed. BBK Electronics, the parent of OnePlus and Oppo, does not offer a way to invest directly in wearables as a standalone vertical.

Whoop and Withings are also not publicly traded companies. CEO of Whoop Will Ahmed indicated in late 2025 that a public listing is more likely within the next two years, targeting a 2027 window rather than 2026.

This limits investor access to several high-volume or long-standing wearable brands, making the list of trackable public stocks narrower than one might expect given the size of the market.

Our takeaway

2025 was a mixed year for wearable tech stocks. Zepp Health delivered the highest return by far, while Alphabet, Samsung, and Citizen also posted strong gains. At the other end of the table, Garmin and Mobvoi struggled to gain traction, closing the year below or near where they started. The rest fell somewhere in between, with modest positive returns that mostly mirrored broader market trends.

As we head into 2026, this snapshot provides a useful benchmark. Some companies will look to hold their ground, others will try to recover lost value, and a few may aim to sustain the momentum they built over the past twelve months. Share prices will continue to reflect more than just wearable performance, but the sector remains one of the more dynamic corners of consumer tech

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A pause in the product cycle

According to a report from Korea JoongAng Daily, Samsung has no plans to unveil the Galaxy Ring 2 during its next major hardware showcase. That doesn’t necessarily mean the project is cancelled, but it does signal a slowdown. For now, the focus seems to be on refining the first-generation product and exploring new software integrations, rather than launching fresh hardware.

The Galaxy Ring only officially debuted in 2024 after years of development and delays. It entered a growing but volatile smart ring market, where innovation often moves slower than hype. In that context, skipping a yearly update makes sense. The ring form factor presents unique engineering challenges, especially around battery life and comfort.

Despite pushing back the Galaxy Ring 2, Samsung is unlikely to walk away from smart rings altogether. The company is still investing in the category and sees clear value in the data that comes from wearing a sensor-packed device directly on the finger. That level of skin contact and continuous wear time offers advantages over wrist-based alternatives, particularly for sleep and recovery tracking.

XR integration may take priority

Rather than doubling down on hardware specs, Samsung appears to be broadening the ring’s purpose. A recent code discovery points to Galaxy Ring integration with Samsung’s new XR headset. The idea seems to be using the ring as a gesture input tool for interacting with immersive content, opening up new use cases beyond health tracking.

This lines up with Samsung’s wider wearable strategy. XR is getting more attention inside the company, and tying its smart ring into that platform could keep it relevant without requiring immediate hardware upgrades. The long game here may be about creating an ecosystem, not just refreshing products.

Legal clouds and market pressure

There’s also a more pragmatic reason Samsung might be slowing down. The ongoing legal dispute with Oura is hanging over everything. With the patent fight now in full swing, including a 12-patent offensive in Texas by Samsung, any move to release a new model could expose the company to more risk. If the current device becomes a bargaining chip in a licensing deal or court ruling, launching a sequel prematurely would be a misstep.

So for now, Galaxy Ring 2 looks unlikely to show up in February. But that doesn’t mean the concept is going away. Samsung seems to be taking a breath, watching the legal landscape, and working on deeper integration before making its next move.

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