TL;DR
- A Galaxy Ring user says the battery swelled while the device was on their finger, leaving it stuck and painful.
- The user was denied boarding a flight and had the ring removed in the hospital using ice and medical lubricant.
- Photos of the ring after it was removed show a visibly distorted battery.
Update: September 30, 2025 (12:05 AM ET): Tech creator Daniel has shared his theory on what may have caused his Galaxy Ring to fail. He suspects the battery could have been damaged by Hawaii’s intense heat (where he attended the Snapdragon Summit), exposure to salt water, multiple flights, or an already faulty battery.
Of these possibilities, salt water exposure seems the most likely culprit. The Galaxy Ring is not designed to withstand it. Its 10ATM water resistance and IP68 rating don’t protect against the corrosive effects of salt water.
Daniel also noted that his ring had been struggling with battery life even before the swelling incident, lasting only about 1.5 days instead of the seven-day battery life he was getting from it initially. By the time the ring supposedly expanded, the battery was completely drained.
Samsung has yet to publicly respond to Daniel’s posts on X, so it remains unclear what steps the company might take. We’ll update this story if and when Samsung issues a statement.
Original article: September 29, 2025 (3:42 PM ET): The Samsung Galaxy Ring is designed to track your health, but a bizarre malfunction for one owner says it was actually the cause of an emergency hospital visit. The battery inside his ring reportedly swelled while it was still on his finger, causing pain and making it impossible to remove.
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The issue was reported by YouTuber and tech creator Daniel (@ZONEofTECH), who shared photos on X showing the device visibly bulging against his finger. In his first post, he wrote that the swelling began while he was about to board a flight. He added that the ring hurt and couldn’t be taken off, tagging Samsung accounts for help. A close-up photo posted shortly after shows the inner casing separating.
Samsung UK responded in the replies, telling the user they were “sorry to hear about the issue” and asking for a direct message so the case could be escalated.
In an update a couple of hours later, Daniel said he had been denied boarding his flight, sent to the hospital, and had the ring removed with medical assistance. He explained in a reply that staff used ice to reduce swelling and a medical lubricant to slide the device off. Attempts with soap and hand cream at the airport seemed to make matters worse, causing the swollen battery to expand further.
Further photos above, taken after the wearable had been removed, show the Galaxy Ring’s internals visibly distorted. Daniel summed up the experience bluntly, stating, “Won’t be wearing a smart ring ever again.” We don’t have any indication as to whether any of the malformed inner section was caused during the removal process.
The Galaxy Ring, which debuted in July 2024, is Samsung’s first smart ring, and we found the battery life underwhelming in our testing. This incident highlights a more serious battery concern, even if it appears to be isolated so far.
We’ve asked the affected user if they’d like to share more about their experience. Samsung has also been contacted for comment.
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