Samsung's Hon Pak suggests the next-gen smart ring will pivot heavily toward software to challenge Oura
Samsung has officially broken its silence on the future of its smart ring lineup, confirming that a next-generation Galaxy Ring 2 is actively in development.
Speaking to Forbes, Hon Pak, Samsung’s Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team, revealed that the company is shifting its strategic focus away from a hardware arms race, prioritizing the software layer and ecosystem connectivity.
While Pak withheld a concrete launch timeline or specific hardware specifications, his comments shed light on how Samsung plans to position its next finger wearable in a rapidly crowding market.
“If you look at the comparison of other rings, regardless of the competitor, the sensors are not that different right now,” Pak told Forbes. “It’s really about what services you create on the top layer. It’s really the software differentiation that you see.”
Pak emphasized that Samsung does not view the smart ring as a standalone, do-it-all device. Rather, the company is treating it as a modular component of a broader, connected health ecosystem, allowing users to choose how they mix and match their devices.
The walled garden could be crumbling
Perhaps the biggest reveal from the interview was a heavy implication that the Galaxy Ring 2 will ditch its strict Android exclusivity. The original 2024 Galaxy Ring locked out iOS users entirely, a massive barrier to entry for a significant portion of the premium wearable market.
When pressed on whether Samsung plans to bring iPhone compatibility to the Galaxy Ring 2, Pak stopped just short of a formal announcement but gave a telling teaser:
“I’m smiling, but I can’t say anything,” Pak said. “I think you’ll be very pleased with some of the releases and the upcoming news.”
With growing regulatory scrutiny surrounding closed ecosystems and the massive commercial success of platform-agnostic rivals, expanding to iOS would mark a seismic shift in Samsung’s wearable strategy.
