Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 No Show

Where was the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 at Galaxy Unpacked?

Last week’s Galaxy Unpacked event in London was a successful launch, with the arrival of new Samsung Galaxy Z foldable phones, Samsung Galaxy Watch wearables, and another look at its upcoming Samsung Galaxy Glasses.

However, something I was hoping for was a glaring omission from the event – the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2. I watched the Unpacked live stream right to the bitter end, just in case there was a surprise teaser for the smart ring. After all, that’s how Samsung first revealed the original model way back at Unpacked in January 2024 to everyone’s shock.

It took six months until the Samsung Galaxy Ring launched properly, meaning that Samsung’s July 2026 Unpacked lined up perfectly for a two-year refresh for its smart ring. The original Samsung Galaxy Ring was a great device, but it’s time for a follow-up, especially with the likes of the Oura Ring 5 and Fitbit Air being released.

What about the competition?

Oura launched the Ring 5 way sooner than expected, and it’s also a big year for screenless fitness trackers with the arrival of the Fitbit Air and Garmin Cirqa to name just two. The Apple Watch Series 10 and iPad Air M2 may not be direct competitors, but they are still relevant in the tech market.

Samsung should be striking now when people may be considering picking up one of those affordable smart bands, or swapping their ageing and probably battered Samsung Galaxy Ring for an Oura Ring 5 or another rival. It would have been a perfect companion to go with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2, as using them together will presumably lead to better data and longer battery life like the Samsung Galaxy Ring currently does with Samsung’s smartwatches.

What’s next for the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2?

It’s rumoured to launch in early 2027, so we could see it at Unpacked alongside the Samsung Galaxy S27 series of phones. While it’s a case of ‘better late than never’, I still feel it’s a missed opportunity for Samsung this year. The Samsung Galaxy S25 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 are great devices, but the smart ring market is still growing.