2025 Wearables Review: Smartwatches, Smart Rings, and Smart Glasses

The year 2025 marked a dramatic chapter in the saga of wearables, with exciting advancements and unexpected twists. Smartwatches continued to enhance their health features, aided by artificial intelligence integrations, while the field of smart rings faced surprising legal and competitive challenges. Meanwhile, smart glasses enjoyed a surprising surge in adoption, redefining their place in the gadget ecosystem. Here’s a detailed look at how these devices fared this year.

Grades Overview

Smartwatches: B+
Smart Rings: C
Smart Glasses: A

Smartwatches: A B+ Year

Smartwatches experienced significant developments in 2025, driven largely by new AI capabilities and health-tracking features. Companies like Garmin, Apple, and Samsung poured resources into refining their offerings, making smartwatches more indispensable than ever.

Health Features Flourish

A primary focus for manufacturers was enhancing health features. Garmin’s latest releases, like the Fenix 8 Pro and Venu X1, showcased advanced health metrics, adding functionalities like vascular health monitoring and predictive analytics for wellness. Whereas Samsung introduced features that allow for virtual doctor’s visits and heart health warnings, setting a high bar for future iterations.

High Price Tags Affect Accessibility

An unexpected trend was the normalization of high prices across the board. With flagship devices often selling for $800 and up, this pricing strategy raised concerns around accessibility. While the Apple Watch SE 3 stood out as a more affordable option, many brands moved toward premium pricing, limiting options for budget-conscious consumers.

The AI Revolution

Companies began pushing the boundaries of smartwatch AI, with products like the Pixel Watch 4 and Apple Watch S11 employing advanced on-watch AI processing. However, much of the heavy lifting remained on smartphones, as future iterations are expected to refine these capabilities further.

Smart Rings: Challenges Ahead

In contrast to smartwatches, the smart ring category struggled, meriting a grade of C. The year was particularly turbulent due to legal battles and market complications.

Legal Barriers

Oura, the leading player in the smart ring market, found itself embroiled in lawsuits, effectively stifling competition. Its aggressive legal tactics have led to uncertainty among competitors, slowing innovation in the space. Rumors suggest major brands like Samsung might refrain from releasing new smart ring models due to these legal fears.

Stagnation of Interest

Despite some growth, interest in smart rings appears to be stagnating. Market data suggests that while sales of Oura rings have spiked, the overall category remains small, particularly compared to more popular wearables. The lack of fresh competitors and innovative features raises questions about the future of smart rings.

Smart Glasses: A Surprise Success

Smart glasses, graded an impressive A for 2025, showed substantial growth and transformation in their capabilities and market presentation.

Unexpected Surge in Sales

Forecasts initially underestimated the potential of smart glasses, predicting a modest growth to 3.5 million units sold. However, sales far surpassed expectations, with estimates now around 9.4 million, bolstered by innovative partnerships and marketing strategies. Meta, in particular, ramped up production, aiming for 10 million glasses a year.

Feature-Rich Offerings

Products like the Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta Vanguard not only improved with additional features but also integrated seamlessly with ecosystem partners—including Garmin. With functionalities such as enhanced video quality and battery life, these glasses resonated well with consumers.

Software Innovations

Beyond hardware improvements, software updates played a pivotal role in enhancing user experience. Smart glasses integrated AI support across various applications, including advanced functions like live translation and media controls, paving the way for more practical uses in everyday situations.

Brand Performance: A Closer Look

Garmin: B

Garmin launched several successful smartwatches in 2025, including the Instinct 3 and Vivoactive 6. However, brand loyalty was tested when Garmin raised prices across the board, resulting in solid earnings but a backlash from price-sensitive customers. The introduction of Garmin Connect+ attempted to hook users into subscriptions, but consumer reception was lukewarm.

COROS: A-

Emerging as a formidable competitor, COROS impressed in 2025 with offerings like the Nomad and Apex 4, which gained traction for their GPS accuracy and affordability. These watches quickly became popular, especially among serious athletes. Yet, the brand faced criticism due to security vulnerabilities, prompting a rapid response to address customer concerns.

Oura: A

Oura stood out with the continuing success of their Ring 4, launching innovative features like AI-driven health coaching and meal tracking. A recent contract with the U.S. Department of Defense also fueled interest and controversy around privacy concerns, shaping Oura’s narrative in 2025.

Meta: Promising Developments

Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) smart glasses were met with optimism, showcasing improvements in battery life and video capabilities. However, their weight and premium pricing remain barriers for broader adoption.

2025 was a dynamic year for the world of wearables, marked by fascinating advancements and hurdles. As brands navigate complex competitive and legal landscapes, consumers can expect to see more innovations in the years to come.