FDM CCS Insight pointed to one area of the devices market which is showing signs of promise against a mostly gloomy backdrop, as it noted smartphones are not the only form-factor affected by rising component costs.
Analysts believe the smart ring sector is nailed on to book a rise in shipments in 2026, bucking an anticipated 3% drop in the overall wearables market.
FDM CCS Insight stated wearables’ woes would mostly stem from an anticipated drop in smartwatch shipments, the dominant form-factor in 2025.
The company predicts smartwatch shipments to fall 4% due to “replacement fatigue” and a general lack of innovation.
It also highlighted “supply side” issues involving memory and component costs as hindrances, indicating problems which have affected the smartphone market for some time are beginning to spread.
FDM CCS Insight acknowledged a forecast smart ring shipments would grow 53% this year comes “from a small base” in previous years, but argued the rise points to a greater “interest in health and wellness tracking” among buyers, along with broader retail availability.
It ranked Oura at the top of the shipments table for the first half of the year and noted Ultrahuman recovered from a ban on shipments in the US during the final quarter of 2025.
A recent “easing of regulations” by the US Food and Drug Administration is also tipped to fuel future shipments.
Senior analyst Ekta Mittal said the company’s research showed “75% of smart ring owners also own a smartwatch”, suggesting there could be a knock-on effect for the latter form-factor.
The post Rings tipped to be lord of the wearables appeared first on Mobile World Live.
ExpressVPN has kept its 30-day money-back guarantee on pause after launching a new promotion to follow its previous World Cup promotion.
The ExpressVPN Summer Tech Competition / Sweepstakes will see the company give away 30 new iPhone 17 Pros, with the caveat that users are not covered by ExpressVPN’s usual 30-day money-back guarantee.
The promotion runs from 11 July 2026 to 11:59 pm BST on 9 August 2026, directly following the ExpressVPN FIFA World Cup 2026 Ticket Giveaway event, which ran from 10 June 2026 to 11 July 2026.
During the promotion, each new sign-up gains 10 entries into the iPhone 17 Pro raffle, with the caveat that all sales are final during this period.
This means that ExpressVPN will not have offered its usual 30-day money-back guarantee for 60 days by the time the Summer Tech Sweepstakes promotion concludes.
On the surface, it might seem like ExpressVPN’s decision to remove the money-back guarantee during these promotional periods is logical.
After all, if the option for a refund were still available after entering a raffle for World Cup tickets or a new iPhone, users might attempt to game the system by entering the contest and then cancelling their ExpressVPN plan if they win.
However, ExpressVPN electing to deny users a money-back guarantee for two consecutive months has worried some users, representing a break from industry-standard practice.
Feedback to the decision has been mixed at best, with multiple commenters in the r/Express_VPN speaking out. User QueenBe12 warned others to “be careful” while user rockyyguy called the move “predatory business”, asking "who came up with this idea?"
new scamy tactics: Express VPN does not offer money back guarantee/ no refunds but offers you to enter the raffle to win an iPhone from r/Express_VPN
In a statement given to TechRadar, ExpressVPN said: "ExpressVPN sometimes runs optional, limited-time promotions — such as the current prize draw — which customers can choose to join.
These promotional plans are clearly identified and disclosed at the point of purchase, including that they offer additional benefits, such as prize-draw entry, in place of the 30-day money-back guarantee. This allows customers to make an informed choice about which option best suits them before they subscribe.
Whether a money-back guarantee is offered or not, customers' statutory rights are unaffected. Anyone on a promotional plan can also contact ExpressVPN Support to request a refund, and each request is considered on its merits."
Like most software services, VPNs can be paid for as monthly subscriptions – but almost all VPNs offer huge discounts for signing up to one- or two-year-long plans.
In the case of ExpressVPN, a two-year plan offers an 84 per cent discount versus renewing monthly, and you get four extra months free of charge.
As such, when we talk about VPN pricing here at TechRadar, we’re usually referring to the price of one of these extended plans. It’s typically the most economical choice for most users.
However, our price-based recommendations are usually made in the context of money-back guarantees, which protect users from long payment plans if they sign up to the wrong option or realize that a certain VPN isn’t for them.
These guarantees are offered by many of the best VPNs, and many smaller and mid-tier brands will provide them as well. NordVPN and Surfshark VPN both offer 30 days; CyberGhost bumps this up to 45 days, and Norton VPN gives users a full 60 days.
This is all to say that ExpressVPN removing its money-back guarantee, even for a promotion, is a pretty big deal and a genuine reason to consider avoiding a longer plan until the promotional period concludes.
So, if you’re still keen on picking up ExpressVPN, consider picking up a monthly plan or waiting until 10 August for a longer plan, and be sure to check out our ExpressVPN review for an in-depth breakdown of its features and performance.
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