Wearable technology can get a lot more compact than smartwatches. More and more smart rings are entering the market, giving consumers another way of tracking the health data that matters to them most.
While some smart rings have convenient features like contactless payment, the main sell for products like the Oura Ring relates to health tracking. Through biometric sensors, these rings can track a wearer’s heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen level and sleep quality, among other metrics.
The dominant brand for smart rings at the moment is Oura, made by a Finnish company, but competitors are beginning to surface. Last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas demonstrated that many technology companies are looking at the potential of smart rings. One of the show’s highlights was the Evie Ring, the first consumer product from California-based health technology company Movano.
Movano frames the Evie Ring as a smart ring designed for women, as its form is made specifically for women’s fingers and the health metrics it tracks includes menstrual cycles. The ring also has a unique open design that allows it to adapt to fingers that swell or contract throughout the day.
The Evie Ring can be ordered online for $269, with shipping beginning later this month. By contrast, Oura Ring products start at $300 and require a $5.99 monthly subscription.
Other smart rings showcased at CES included the Xring from Chinese company Umeox, which claims that its product can provide non-invasive blood glucose monitoring through an artificial intelligence algorithm and light absorption tracking.
Another Chinese brand, Amazfit, is coming out with a smart ring of its own, joining the company’s lineup of smartwatches. Amazfit products are known as budget smart devices for more athletic users. The exact price and release date of the Amazfit Helio Ring are unknown.
Smaller companies such as RingConn, Ultrahuman and Circular also have smart rings in the marketplace, and Samsung has one in the works. It may take some time for consumers to rely on screenless rings for health tracking, but with more smart rings being released, they’re sure to become more popular with time.