Grades: Smartwatches (B+), sensible rings (C), sensible glasses (A)
It has been a dramatic 2025 for wearables. Some traits had been predictable, like sensible glasses persevering with their exponential development and smartwatches including extra AI and well being options. However I did not anticipate some issues, like Oura lawsuits strangling its sensible ring rivals or the affect of tariffs.
Then, I am going to have a look at the largest wearable and health watch manufacturers and grade their 2025 efficiency — the place they succeeded and the way they might have finished higher.
Judging my 2025 predictions for smartwatches, rings, and glasses
As anticipated, Garmin examined “loyal customers’ willingness to purchase pricier status-symbol smartwatches.” The Garmin Fenix 8 Professional ($1.2–2K) and Venu X1 ($800) are clear examples, however even mid-rangers just like the Venu 4 ($550) have change into extra high-end.
Add within the $800 Apple Watch Extremely 3, $500 and $650 Galaxy Watches, and the $1,000 Polar Grit X2 Professional, and you’ll see manufacturers normalizing phone-level costs (and offsetting tariff prices).
It was additionally anticipated that there could be “extra choices” for thrifty customers. The Apple Watch SE 3 qualifies, sticking to its previous $250 worth, however it’s the exception. We noticed low cost trackers from Xiaomi and CMF, however only a few low cost Android smartwatches in addition to discounted last-gen fashions. Even Amazfit bought as many $300+ watches as $100 ones.
Tariffs have interfered with finances choices, making it extra worthwhile to draw wealthier hobbyists.
In the meantime, Google, Samsung, and Apple began pushing the concept of smartwatch AI in 2025. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless largely on-phone processing of queries and well being information evaluation.
The Pixel Watch 4 and Apple Watch S11 have on-watch AI instruments like sensible replies or reside translation, and I admire how Gemini on Android watches syncs properly with Google apps. I anticipate a much bigger AI push in 2026, notably with the Fitbit Private Well being Coach AI.
Once more, corporations clearly need smartwatches to change into medical units, however we’re nonetheless within the predictive “wellness” section. For instance, Samsung added digital physician’s visits and prescription administration whereas giving its watches vascular well being and antioxidant index evaluation, with coronary heart failure warnings coming quickly.
That stated, my analyst’s prediction of direct blood stress monitoring on watches in 2025 did not occur. However Apple began providing hypertension alerts, whereas Fitbit and Oura launched hypertension research — so at the very least we’re getting warning indicators for hypertension.
As for sensible rings, I haven’t got onerous figures for 2025 but, however IDC’s present estimates present it is a tiny however rising sliver in comparison with health trackers, and rising way more slowly than sensible glasses.
Gross sales have grown, however I am anticipating the class to stagnate. Oura has leveraged its patents to demand royalty funds from each main sensible ring model, bringing Round and RingConn to heel, efficiently banning Ultrahuman from the U.S., and at present difficult Samsung.
The present rumor is that Samsung will not make a Galaxy Ring 2, and there is little hope for competitors and innovation within the house if manufacturers like Fitbit and Apple determine it isn’t well worth the authorized problem — or giving Oura a minimize of the income — to make a wise ring.
Lastly, IDC’s Jitesh Ubrani wasn’t bullish on sensible glasses’ future final yr, saying that “most customers do not want” the picture/ video/ music/ AI combo and that gross sales would solely climb from 2.5 million to three.5 million in 2025.
Seems, IDC’s present forecast is 9.4 million glasses bought in 2025, Meta’s Ray-Ban/Oakley accomplice EssilorLuxottica has ramped up manufacturing to 10 million per yr, and Ubrani is way more enthusiastic about sensible glasses’ future.
That stated, 10 million bought might not qualify as “mainstream,” in comparison with 200 million smartwatches and trackers in 2025. The Samsung AI and HUD glasses coming in 2026 ought to assist the class proceed to develop, particularly internationally.
Garmin in 2025: B
Garmin launched a collection of profitable, high-quality watches this yr: the Intuition 3 for hikers and campers, the Vivoactive 6 for thrifty indoor athletes and every day step-counters, the Forerunner 570 for runners and triathletes, the Forerunner 970 for pro-level athletes and path runners, and the Venu 4 because the all-around most suitable choice.
Sadly, Garmin raised watch costs throughout its total lineup for further income, delivering sturdy earnings however making them much less accessible to on a regular basis athletes. As a lot as I like the Venu X1, I can not suggest folks spend $800 on one.
From an financial standpoint, Garmin has change into a top-5 model for worldwide smartwatch gross sales. Regardless of that, Garmin’s inventory plummeted as a result of its uber-expensive Fenix 8 Professional could not compete with final yr’s large Fenix 8 gross sales, undoing all its features.
The brand new Garmin Join+ subscription, which launched this yr, might have earned some income, however Garmin followers have by no means embraced the function, particularly when it is required for options like Garmin Trails, further badges, and their Yr in Evaluation abstract.
Unrealistic shareholder expectations apart, Garmin has had a powerful yr, however its tendency to price-lock the most effective options to Fenix-level watches is tougher to abdomen when the “cheaper” fashions are nonetheless costly. And also you by no means know when there will be a serious blue triangle crash.
COROS in 2025: A-
I will not grade each health watch model, however I am highlighting COROS as a result of it is had a powerful 2025 as a foil to Garmin. The COROS Nomad, Apex 4, and Tempo 4 have every impressed me with their correct GPS and HR information, weeks of battery life, inexpensive costs, and quick efficiency for path and avenue maps.
COROS gained some floor on its rivals with important options: media playback controls, transfer alerts, undo laps, flashlight mode, cycle monitoring, mid-activity voice alerts, avenue names and POIs on maps, and an journey journal.
Equally vital, COROS updates its total lineup, moderately than price-lock options to the flagships. It makes fashions just like the $300 COROS Tempo Professional really feel like an excellent worth, since you get instruments like offline maps and Strava Dwell Segments that solely $600+ Garmin watches have.
It is no coincidence that COROS is the “fastest-growing watch model year-over-year on Strava” within the app’s 2025 end-of-year report. It will not catch as much as Garmin (2nd total) anytime quickly, however COROS has earned a status for finances high quality with severe athletes — stealing Garmin’s prospects.
COROS’s important 2025 blemish was an IT exposé revealing main safety vulnerabilities on all COROS watches, letting hackers doubtlessly entry your account, listen in on notifications, and worse. COROS says it has resolved these points, fortunately.
Oura in 2025: A
Oura studies promoting 5.5 million rings to this point, with half these gross sales up to now 12 months. It additionally has a brand new U.S. DoD contract, which requires them to construct a producing facility in Texas. This deal additionally precipitated some backlash over fears Oura would share non-public information with the Trump administration, however CEO Tom Hale has reassured in any other case.
The Oura Ring 4 repeatedly obtained new options in 2025. The LLM-powered Oura Advisor is the centerpiece, giving recommendation and training primarily based in your ring stats. The AI Meals device offers you a dietary abstract of your plate with a photograph. Your Oura Ring can now monitor being pregnant and premenopause signs. Its Preventive Well being information research indicators of cumulative stress. The checklist goes on!
Oura additionally launched the Ring 4 Ceramic, a dearer mannequin with premium zirconia ceramic supplies. Whereas our tester praised how “extremely gentle” it feels to put on, he is additionally observed areas the place the end has been “scratched off” from put on and tear, and that the brand new end makes it “noticeably thicker and a bit heavier” than the traditional Ring 4.
General, Oura stored customers proud of new options, made record-breaking income, and weaponized patents to scuttle its greatest rival (Ultrahuman) and demand royalties from the remaining. That is an excellent enterprise place to be in.
Meta launched three pairs of sensible glasses in 2025, which is a major accomplishment. Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) is the centerpiece, and whereas it is not considerably completely different from the unique, the additional hours of battery and 3K video do make it simpler to suggest.
The Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses cater particularly to the athletic crowd, notably with the Garmin integration, and whereas I cherished them, it will take time to see whether or not they resonate due to the load and worth.
The Meta Ray-Ban Show glasses have struck a chord with the tech area of interest, with some spectacular HUD options which have began to reside as much as the Google Glass concept folks have waited a decade for. They’re too thick, heavy, and costly to interrupt out of that area of interest, however it’s a step in the proper route.
{Hardware} apart, Meta has finished properly with software program updates in 2025. It added Meta AI help for a number of apps (Audible, Spotify, Google Calendar, Outlook, and Climate), launched Dwell AI and Dwell Translation, sped up digicam captures, and introduced Gen 2 options like improved stabilization to the Gen 1 glasses.
