Samsung breaks silence after smart ring left man 'humiliated' and 'stranded' at the airport

We’ve got enough to worry about when going to the airport in terms of passports, making sure your tickets are downloaded/printed, and getting there on time.

In 2026, we have to juggle far more than just getting your family or friends organized.

Whether it's fears about setting off the scanner with your 'package' or avoiding the throngs of people undertaking TikTok challenges where they try to get there at the last minute, you've also got to deal with cybercriminals stealing your information, and what about the anxiety you're going to sit in baby poop when on your flight?

With all this stress, it's a wonder why people want to fly at all. Still, just when you think you've covered all bases, there's a new fear unlocked. You might remember when we covered the story of tech YouTuber ZONEofTECH, who claimed he missed his flight due to a swollen Samsung Galaxy Ring.

In October 2025, ZONEofTECH told his story with accompanying pictures, as others said they'd experienced or heard of similar incidents where batteries had blown on smart rings. Over on Reddit, one alarmed person wrote: "My first thought when I saw that tweet is 'Oh, fireman can cut it off' and then I remember this wasn’t just a ring, battery could explode if they cut it, this is probably the closest thing to explosive collar in Battle Royale."

Daniel Rotar says that Samsung has finally got in touch after completing an investigation. At the time, Rotar said that Samsung offered to cover expenses after he was stranded and missed his flight, while it also collected his swollen Galaxy Ring for investigation.

Samsung reiterates that this took longer than expected because a third-party independent agency was also required to conduct its own investigation. Ultimately, both came to the same conclusion that ZONEofTECH was left stranded due to a crack in the internal moulding.

Samsung's full statement reads: "Customer safety is our highest priority. Samsung has been in regular contact with Daniel whilst we conducted our investigation.

“Following an examination by Samsung and then a further analysis by an independent external agency, it was confirmed that the swelling in Daniel’s Galaxy Ring was caused by a crack in the internal moulding and that there was no wider product battery safety risk.

“The Galaxy Ring has been designed for everyday wear, with durability at the core. Customer care guides for all our devices can be found at: http://samsung.com/uk/support."

The tech giant remains confident that there are no larger concerns about battery issues in Galaxy Rings. Although Rotar seems satisfied with the explanation, he says others have shared concerns about battery life and general performance issues.

He says he raised this with Samsung, which advised anyone experiencing any of the above to get in touch.

Not everyone was sold on Samsung's response, with one critic grumbling: "What a bunch of corpo slop they sent you."

Another questioned: "Maybe lithium batteries shouldn't be trapped against flesh by solid metal."

A third concluded: "Terrible thing, but props to Samsung for the way it's handled this. It's clear they def. didn't take it lightly. Still, a very scary thing and we're all glad you're doing okay."