Smart Ring Shipments Projected to Jump 49%

The category is on pace for a 49% increase in shipments for 2025, Bloomberg News reported Monday (Jan. 5), citing data from IDC. By contrast, shipments of smartwatches were projected to increase by just 6%.

The devices are catching on with consumers, the report added, offering the types of sleep and health insights found on smartwatches, only with a less obvious design, longer charge life and—because fingers have thinner skin than wrists—more accurate readings.

Some consumers, the report said, like to wear both: a watch for workouts and notifications, a ring for round-the-clock tracking. And while the smartwatch market is growing more slowly, IDC said 163 million of these devices shipped last year, versus 4.3 million smart rings.

Among the smart rings already on the market is Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, which was launched in 2024 and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide detailed health reports, including metrics like sleep, activity, heart rate and heart rate variability. The ring also offers insights and recommendations designed to help improve daily health and well-being.

Also in 2024, Oura opened an Amazon store to sell its smart rings. This year, the Bloomberg report said, both startups and tech giants are due to introduce new models this year, including at this week’s CES consumer technology conference in Las Vegas.

Among the newcomers is the Aivela Ring Pro, which will showcase unique features such as air gestures and touch commands. Meanwhile, some companies are working on rings that aren’t health-focused, Bloomberg said. This includes Pebble, a smartwatch brand created the Index 01, which comes with a built-in microphone to allow users to create reminders on the go.

As covered here last week, wearable products are emerging as one of the next places the world’s tech giants are hoping to capture value from the AI stack. For example, Google plans to release AI-enabled smart glasses this year. This device will reportedly run on Android XR and incorporate Google’s Gemini model to offer up real-time answers, translation tools and optional augmented displays.

“The glasses mark Google’s return to wearables after earlier efforts with Glass. This version focuses on hands-free access to information rather than novelty features,” PYMNTS wrote. “By placing AI in a format that handles simple, in-the-moment tasks, Google extends its platform into a physical product category that could sit alongside smartphones rather than replace them. That same theme of integration carries into developments happening inside the federal government.”