Samsung has finally confirmed what many have been waiting to hear: the Galaxy Ring 2 is in development. The company has stayed quiet about its plans for a successor to the original Galaxy Ring for nearly two years, so any official word is significant. Now, a senior executive has not only confirmed the device exists but also dropped a strong hint that it could work with iPhones.
Speaking to Forbes, Samsung’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team, Hon Pak, confirmed that the next-generation Galaxy Ring is actively being worked on. He did not share a launch date or specific features, but what he did say tells us a lot about where Samsung is taking the product.
The smart ring market has grown quickly since Samsung entered it in 2023. Competitors like Oura, Ultrahuman, and RingConn have pushed the category forward, and the battle for dominance is heating up. Samsung’s willingness to talk about the Galaxy Ring 2 now, even in vague terms, suggests the company is ready to make a serious move.
Pak was direct about where he thinks the real competition lies. “If you look at the comparison of other rings, regardless of the competitor, the sensors are not that different right now,” he said. “It’s really about what services you create on the top layer. It’s really the software differentiation that you see.” That is a notable shift in focus. Rather than racing to add new sensors, Samsung is betting that better software and health insights will win customers over.
He also made clear that Samsung does not want the Galaxy Ring to be a standalone product trying to do everything. The goal is to make it a key part of a connected device ecosystem, letting users pick and choose what works for them. That kind of thinking fits with Samsung’s broader strategy around Galaxy AI and its health platform.
The most talked-about moment from the interview, though, came when Pak was asked about iPhone support. Right now, the Galaxy Ring works with most modern Android phones, but it is far from open. Several features are locked to Samsung Galaxy devices, and iPhones are not supported at all. When pushed on whether that could change, Pak did not confirm anything but was clearly holding something back.
“I’m smiling, but I can’t say anything,” he said. “I think you’ll be very pleased with some of the releases and the upcoming news.”
That response is about as close to a confirmation as you can get without actually saying it. A few things make iPhone support a real possibility:
- Regulators in the EU and elsewhere are pushing tech companies to open up their ecosystems
- Competitors like Oura already support iPhones, giving them access to a huge market Samsung currently misses
- Samsung has been expanding Galaxy AI features to non-Samsung Android devices, showing a willingness to go broader
If Samsung does bring Galaxy Ring 2 support to iPhones, it would be a first for the Galaxy wearable lineup. No Samsung wearable currently supports Apple’s platform. It would also put the Galaxy Ring in direct competition with Apple’s own rumored health ring, which has been in the works for some time.
Rumors have pointed to a 2027 launch for the Galaxy Ring 2, though Samsung has not said anything to confirm that timeline. For now, the takeaway is clear: the device is real, it is being built with software at its core, and iPhone users may finally get a seat at the table.