Smart Rings: A Finger-Sticking Dilemma
A UK man has ditched a piece of electronic jewelry after being barred from boarding a flight because it wouldn’t come off his finger. He shared the embarrassing experience in a series of posts on X.
Daniel Rotar had been wearing a Samsung Galaxy Ring, an AI-powered device that tracks sleep, activity, heart rate, and other health metrics—but unlike bulkier smartwatches, it snugly encircles the finger.
Rotar was returning from a tech summit in Hawaii, enduring “three flights and two long layovers,” when the ring’s lithium-ion battery swelled, trapping his finger and sparking the ordeal.
“I’ll never wear a smart ring again,” said Rotar, pictured with the Galaxy Ring still stuck on his finger.
“Ahhh… this is… not good,” wrote Rotar, who runs the ZONEofTECH YouTube channel. “My Samsung Galaxy Ring’s battery started swelling—while it’s on my finger and just as I’m about to board a flight. Now I can’t take it off, and it hurts.”
A follow-up photo showed the swollen device clamped around his finger like a high-tech thumbcuff.
Despite pleading with Samsung for help on X, the Brit couldn’t free his finger and was denied boarding as a result.
“I was denied boarding because of this (been traveling for ~47 hours straight, so this is really nice),” lamented the content creator. “Now I have to pay for a hotel for the night and get back home tomorrow.”
Rotar showed off the swollen battery and revealed that he was “sent to the hospital” to have the Galaxy Ring removed. The procedure reportedly involved applying ice to reduce the swelling and using “some kind of lubricant,” according to a follow-up post.
“Won’t be wearing a smart ring ever again,” Rotar declared.
The cause of the swelling remains unclear, though Rotar speculated it could have been due to salt water, Hawaii’s heat, or months of poor battery performance. He added, “Anything that has a battery that also goes on your body should be made super easy to take off, in case of battery expansion.”
The Post reached out to Samsung for comment.
X users sympathized with Rotar’s ordeal, with one writing, “Damn man, I’m sorry this happened to you, but since it did, Samsung definitely has to address it.”
Samsung Galaxy Rings on display in Shanghai, China.
“This is a serious issue, no joke,” commented one X user. “The second generation needs an emergency removal system.” Another wrote, “That’s terrifying! Samsung should cover your hotel and new flight. Lithium batteries in wearables are no joke.”
According to a recent update from Rotar on X, he finally returned home after 50 hours of travel. Samsung refunded his overnight hotel, arranged a car to get him home, and even collected the faulty Galaxy Ring for “further investigation.”
“My finger is doing well, aside from some small marks that should heal in a few days,” he said.
The tech giant addressed the incident in a statement: “The safety of customers is our top priority. This is an extremely rare case, and we are in direct contact with Mr. Rotar to retrieve the product and learn about the concerns,” a Samsung representative told The Post.
On its website, Samsung outlines several ways to remove a stuck ring, including rinsing the hand with soap and cold water, slowly turning the device, or holding the hand above heart level until swelling subsides. If these methods fail, the company advises consulting a professional to cut the ring off safely. “Do not attempt to do it yourself. The ring is an electronic device with an embedded battery. Cut only along the indicator where the battery is not located,” the instructions read.
This isn’t the first time a Galaxy Ring has trapped a user’s finger. Reddit threads are filled with reports of similar incidents, and while Samsung has offered free replacements for faulty devices, some users have encountered the same problem again.
