What you need to know

• Ultrahuman debuts M2 Live, a new CGM (continuous glucose monitor) with Abbott's Lingo biosensor for users.
• Glucose spikes are serious, and Ultrahuman is giving users a clear path to managing their metabolic health with M2 Live, incorporating sleep, stress, food, and more.
• Ultrahuman says M2 Live will launch in the U.S. "in the coming weeks" on ultrahuman.com; single sensors cost $129, while the subscription costs $99.

Today (June 18), Ultrahuman announced what's next for its health platform, and it's all about redefining what metabolic health truly means for users.

In a press release, Ultrahuman shared insights about M2 Live: a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) from Abbott's Lingo. This integration brings Abbott's over-the-counter monitor to more people through M2 Live in the U.S. The subscription for this begins at $99 per month, and consumers won't need a prescription either. CGM isn't anything new for Ultrahuman's platform; however, where M2 Live leads us is reportedly set to "become one of the most affordable wearable metabolic health platforms in the U.S."

M2 Live will stream your insights directly to the Ultrahuman app's metabolic health engine. This will include your sleep, stress, activity, and recovery to help paint the picture of how your body regulates its glucose. Ultrahuman is combining its health markers and blood biomarkers to help users make sense of why their glucose might spike.

What's more, data from Abbott's Lingo is said to put a neat bow on the whole situation for users. This data will bring a storied history of five years of research, health institution partnerships, and millions of logged meals.

Behind the scenes, Ultrahuman says its AI assistant, Jade, will use its biointelligence to connect your changing glucose patterns (if there are any) with your logged sleep, HRV, and more from your smart ring. Your metabolic score, which ranges from 0-100, reflects your glucose regulation. Since food can impact this, the app will offer a "Food Score."

It's through this that Ultrahuman says it can show users how certain foods they've eaten impact their glucose. The "Fueling Score" is more focused on your fitness/workouts, showing how your levels might impact your activity.

Take your health seriously

While the M2 Live announcement is today (June 18), the post states that the feature will officially launch "in the coming weeks" in the U.S. on Ultrahuman.com. A singular Lingo biosensor can be purchased for $129 (and the monthly subscription is $99). Users should be aware that these sensors can only be worn for up to 14 days. Lingo offers more details about its full safety instructions for its sensors and wearers.

Android Central's Take

Something like this would probably catch the eyes of those who really need it, and absolutely must take this type of management seriously. From my POV, I think this could really help people who have to take care of their glucose more seriously than others. I've got family who need to pay attention to this type of thing. They have their own management styles, of course, as this has been going on for years. Either way, glucose spikes can be dangerous, and it looks like Ultrahuman wants to try and help.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman announces a partnership with Les Mills, bringing studio-quality workouts to users and biomarker data influenced recommendations.
• Using biomarkers, the Ultrahuman app takes into account key data about your recovery to either push you the following day or tell you to take it slow.
• For women's health, data based on your cycle will also influence your activity level the next day.
• Ultrahuman Ring AIR and PRO users receive the Les Mills PowerPlug on April 22 for $11.99 per month or at $99 per year.

Ultrahuman is coming forward this week with a partnership that aims to make the workout process easy for users looking to push or relax themselves.

In a press release, Ultrahuman announces that it has partnered with the studio-quality workout company, Les Mills. Both companies are trying to tackle a real issue with wearables: a true understanding if you've "under-recovered" or are ready to go. Ultrahuman says that, if your device says you need rest, your training plan will continue as if you were at your finest. Together with biomarker data, the Ultrahuman Ring and Les Mills work to help to close the gap "between wearable insights and real-world training decisions."

Ultrahuman Ring AIR and PRO users are now receiving the Les Mills PowerPlug, which leverages biomarker data to help their desired fitness goal: Strength, Cardio, Flexibility, or General Fitness (chosen after downloading). Additionally, you can decide your preferred training days and session length.

Recommendations for your future workouts will consider your recovery, sleep, and cycle data obtained from your smart ring. However, your recovery is what's key. Ultrahuman says Dynamic Recovery influences these recommendations, which can involve workout intensity and type. Your recovery data will fluctuate depending on how much you moved that night, your non-sleep deep rest, and any naps.

Upon waking up, and if everything is good, the Ultrahuman app will show BODYPUMP or BODYCOMBAT. But if you need rest, you'll see BODYBALANCE.

One more rep

Women looking to take their workouts to another level will find aid based on their cycle. "High-energy" phases, such as ovulatory or follicular, would yield GRIT and BODYCOMBAT recommendations. However, luteal will likely encourage you to take it easy with yoga.

Ultrahuman and Les Mills aim for a "constant feedback loop" with this partnership. Your smart ring obtains a load of data while you're working out, and that shines in a few ways. Workout stats, recovery predictions, movement/muscle tracking, and "daily goal updates" are data sets that help your following day's recommended workouts. The longer you exercise and keep wearing your ring, the more accurate Ultrahuman says these recommendations will become.

To reiterate, the Les Mills PowerPlug for the Ultrahuman Ring AIR and PRO is rolling out today (Apr 22) in the Ultrahuman app. Users globally will find access for $11.99 per month or at $99 per year.

A previous partnership between Ultrahuman and Click Therapeutics was announced in January, assisting users with understanding their migraines.

Android Central's Take

A deeper understanding, based on important insights, might make this a welcome feature. I've had days where you just feel like you're not interested in pushing yourself. For someone like that, still seeing their workout regiment for that day continue, might feel inclined to grit their teeth and go. That's not always a good idea. It's a pretty quick way of tiring yourself even more or, at worst, risk an injury.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman Ring Pro is finally launching in the U.S. after resolving its patent dispute with Oura.
• The Ring Pro offers up to 15 days battery life, extendable to 45 days with its charging case.
• The Ring Pro starts at $349 for early buyers, with full bundle pricing going up to $479.

Ultrahuman, one of the best smart ring makers, is coming back to the U.S. with its Ring Pro.

Ultrahuman showcased its Ring Pro last month, and while the company revealed all the features and opened pre-orders in some markets, the U.S. was notably missing from the list. This was partly due to Ultrahuman's patent dispute with Oura.

Ultrahuman has been in a legal battle with Oura since late 2025 over patent issues. In 2025, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in favour of Oura, stating that Ultrahuman and other smart ring makers infringed on aspects of Oura's internal architecture and design.

This prevented Ultrahuman from importing and selling its devices in the States. However, it now appears those issues have been resolved, as the company's new Ring Pro is available for pre-order in the U.S.

The Ultrahuman Ring Pro offers several features you don't typically see on smartwatches. The company claims up to 15 days of battery life on a single charge, which can extend to over 45 days with the charging case — something that was lacking on the previous Ultrahuman Ring Air.

The charging case also includes a Find My-like tracking ability with an integrated speaker, as well as a proximity tracker, so you can locate it via the app.

Like the previous generation, there's no subscription fee attached to the smart ring, although Ultrahuman does offer optional paid plug-ins through its app. As for upgrades, the Ring Pro includes a dual-core processor, a redesigned heart rate sensor, and up to 250 days of on-device health data storage.

As for pricing, the Ultrahuman Ring Pro will be available at $349 for the first 1,000 customers. After the pre-order period ends, it'll cost $399 and will only include a mini charger in the box, with the charging case sold separately for $100.

You'll be able to buy the full bundle for $479. Ultrahuman says the Ring Pro will start shipping on May 15.

Android Central's Take

I've always preferred Ultrahuman's smart rings over other brands. The experience feels more complete, and it doesn't charge a subscription fee like Oura. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Ring Pro performs in real-world use.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman announced the Ring PRO, its newest smart ring with enhanced accuracy, better heart-rate signals, and a 15-day battery life.
• The ring comes with a PRO Charger that can hold 45 days of battery power for users.
• Jade is Ultrahuman's new "biointelligent" AI assistant, capable of holding chats with users about their health analytics for comprehensible insights.
• The Ultrahuman Ring PRO is available for pre-orders globally (excluding the U.S.) for $479 before shipments start in March.

Ultrahuman is ending the week (and the month) with a back-to-back announcement that involves a new smart ring and an AI assistant.

In a press release, Ultrahuman revealed its latest smart ring addition: the Ring PRO. Immediately, the Ring PRO will be available in Bionic Gold, Space Silver, Aster Black and Raw Titanium. More than that, consumers can find the Ring PRO in sizes five through 14. Ultrahuman adds that it's equipped the device with "a titanium unibody architecture" that should help the ring with "long-term durability."

Long-term durability is key here, as the Ring PRO features a 15-day battery. However, it's worth noting that consumers can probably reach this number using "Chill mode" with the Ring PRO. Ultrahuman states those using "Turbo mode" will probably get 12 days out of their battery.

Enhanced memory was built into the Ring PRO, capable of holding onto 250 day of data to assist your health history. The post adds that the smart ring has redesigned heart rate sensor tech to improve its signals when the user is sleeping and during recovery. An "upgraded" dual-core processor brings faster data processing and accuracy to the Ring PRO. Regarding safety, the press release highlights ProRelease tech, "which enables Ring PRO to be cut apart more easily in the event of swelling or injury to the finger."

You can't have a Ring PRO without a PRO charging case, can you? Ultrahuman says the Ring PRO can "click" directly into the case via magnets, finding a cool, efficient charging experience thanks to its "energy-efficient mechanism." The PRO Charger can store up to 45 days of battery power.

Ultrahuman highlights the following features for the Ring PRO and PRO Charger:

• Find My Case: Quickly track down your case with the integrated speaker and smart proximity guidance through the app.
• At-a-glance feedback: Receive confirmations and alerts via haptics, and view battery level status via an LED indicator.
• Firmware acceleration: Faster updates, diagnostics and troubleshooting via direct case connectivity.
• Wirelessly charge the charger: Power up the case with Qi charging.

U.S. consumers will miss out on the Ultrahuman Ring PRO for right now. The post states that, while the device is launching globally, with pre-orders beginning today (Fen 27) at $479, the U.S. isn't on that list. Shipments are to begin in March. Ultrahuman has not stated when U.S. consumers can expect to see the Ring PRO. Additionally, "Customers can trade in an Ultrahuman Ring AIR, and other smart rings, for up to $115 off."

Meet Jade

The other major announcement joining the latest smart ring is Jade, Ultrahuman's new "biointelligent" AI assistant. Jade is headed for Ultrahuman users globally, and the company says that it's "unlike normal LLMs." Jade is reportedly able to "pull real-time actionable insights, and even start breathwork or trigger Afib detection."

Jade is arriving with two modes: Standard and Deep Research. The latter is stated to deliver a more comprehensible analysis that spans "the ecosystem." It's also "designed to help interpret data, enable more comprehensive analysis, and surface long-term trends." For the biointelligent system, Ultrahuman says that it can connect your ring data with "markers" from across its ecosystem to "produce unprecedented insights."

This involves 120-plus Blood Vision biomarkers, M1 CGM glucose trends, and more. If a few of these aspects sound familiar, it's because Jade works well with the PowerPlugs available to Ultrhuman members via the mobile app. The company informs users that their data is processed within a "secure" system.

Android Central's Take

Ultrahuman's making some moves with its Ring PRO. Improving its heart rate signals, accuracy, and more are all welcome improvements for a company that's truly honed in on the health front. Jade is another integral piece to what's been announced. This AI was probably done to help streamline the health experience for users who're looking to understand their data and receive actionable details about it. It's a good move, but, of course, I'm left looking around like John Travolta since the U.S. is missing out.

What you need to know

• Click Therapeutics announced a partnership with Ultrahuman to create a new Migraines PowerPlug.
• This feature was designed to help users understand what may contribute to more frequent and harsh migraines.
• The PowerPlug has an "early 2026" launch in its sights, though the post states a pilot program will take place first.
• This PowerPlug keeps women's health at its forefront, similar to other Ultrahuman features for cycle/ovulation tracking and insights.

Ultrahuman, a smart ring creator, announced a partnership this week that aims to help users identify and manage tough migraines.

In a press release, Ultrahuman is going about completing this goal with a new feature called "Migraine PowerPlug." It was created in tandem with its new partnership with Click Therapeutics. According to the post, the latter is an "FDA-authorized prescription digital therapeutic designed to offer both migraine-related insights and guided activities."

For Migraine PowerPlug, the feature is designed to give users support for harsh migraines while outside of the doctor's office, "in real-time."

Click's states that it's combining Ultrahuman's biomarker analytics capabilities with its digital therapeutic IP, CT-132. CT-132 has received FDA authorization to help users who suffer from migraines manage them and reduce the toll they take. Per the company's research, there are a few key areas in our daily lives that can contribute to terrible migraines. Areas such as your sleep quality, HRV (heart rate variability), stress load, and more can directly affect migraine patterns and strength.

Migraine PowerPlug is said to track these contributors to then "translate those trends into practical, personalized lifestyle guidance." Moreover, Click states that Migraine PowerPlug will identify patterns, so the user can improve. The post also highlights the importance of this feature, as women statistically experience migraines three times more than men.

Migraines make you wanna hide and never come out

Nobody likes getting a migraine, but it looks like users still have a little while to wait. Click's states that its work with Ultrahuman to create Migraine PowerPlug will launch in "early 2026" in the Ultrahuman app. However, this will arrive "after a pilot phase." The companies are eyeing the U.S., Canada, the E.U, India, Australia, and a few more unnamed areas for this feature.

Ultrahuman's focus on women's health is nothing new, as the company has been down this road for a while now. The brand's recent work to aid women's health landed by way of its partnership with viO for cycle and ovulation tracking last August. The company's newest in-app PowerPlug, Cycle & Ovulation Pro, was designed to help women understand their cycle, as not everyone falls within the "normal" 28-day range. Ultrahuman also stated that this PowerPlug could help women with PCOS and endometriosis.

Similarly, Ultrahuman partnered with Clue to further enhance women's understanding of their cycle with insights and lifestyle tracking.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman partners with Clue for enhanced menstrual cycle insights and lifestyle tracking.
• Users can integrate six months of cycle data seamlessly into the Ultrahuman app.
• Every Ultrahuman Ring AIR purchase includes a year of Clue Plus at a special price.

Ultrahuman is taking cycle tracking up a notch as it has teamed up with Clue, a period tracking app, to bring women even better insights into their cycles. This new feature is all about making it easier and more affordable for women to really understand how their lifestyle choices impact their cycle.

This partnership aims at syncing Ultrahuman Ring AIR with Clue, which allows users to automatically import up to six months of their cycle history from Clue directly into the Ultrahuman app, instead of switching between two apps to look for their health data.

The company says that the combined real-time data from Ultrahuman such as skin temperature, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability, along with cycle tracking information from Clue will allow users to see how their menstrual cycle phases correlate with their activity levels, sleep patterns, giving them a clear picture as to how different factors impact their cycle and if they need to take action to improve health.

"This combined view provides women with a broader picture of their health, bringing together cycle patterns and daily biomarkers in one place," Ultrahuman stated in its press release. This only makes it easier for women to notice connections between, let's say, sleep patterns and how their period is either on time or delayed, reflect on health goals, and adapt routines in ways that feel aligned with their bodies.

As for how this works, the ring tracks the body's biomarkers and tracks how the body also reacts differently during various cycle phases—such as the follicular and luteal phases—which can affect energy levels, mood, and resilience. For example, a user might see how their skin temperature and resting heart rate increase during the luteal phase, which can help them correlate these and make changes to their routines if needed.

Furthermore, users will also be able to record the intensity of cramps and mood swings with the Clue Plus subscription, and see how they connect with Ultrahuman Ring's recovery and temperature insights. This kind of tracking is helpful for women of all ages, whether they're trying to track their period, fertility, get pregnancy insights, or perimenopause guidance.

Lastly, every purchase of the Ultrahuman Ring AIR now includes a full year of Clue Plus for $9.99 – reduced from $39.99. This subscription also provides extended 12-month forecasting and expert-backed guidance from clinicians to help users better understand their bodies. And for those who already own an Ultrahuman Ring Air, the company says it is working to get you access to Clue Plus at a special price in the near future.

Update[9/3 10 am ET]: Ultrahuman reached out to Android Central to confirm that they will be refiling a fresh lawsuit in New Delhi, India, following a "procedural dismissal."

What you need to know

• The Delhi High Court in India has delivered its verdict, dismissing the court case Ultrahuman leveraged against Oura over its patent dispute.
• This is where the situation progressed to after the ITC gave its ruling in August, which blocked Ultrahuman's devices and components from the U.S. market.
• Originally, Ultrahuman sought out Oura for this lawsuit over the latter's features mirroring its own a little too closely.
• Now, Ultrahuman states that the case's dismissal was due to procedural reasons and that it will soon refile a fresh lawsuit.

The ongoing court case between smart ring pioneer Oura and Indian competitor Ultrahuman moved forward on Monday in New Delhi, and both companies are calling the ruling a victory.

For its part, Ultrahuman says it did not lose; the company was merely invited to refile due to a procedural issue.

"The Delhi High Court has asked us to refile our complaint because of a procedural clarification," a spokesman for the company told Android Central today (Sept. 3).

"This case was filed to defend Ultrahuman’s intellectual property in India. In our complaint, we included the facts on the ongoing ITC case. However, the Court has asked us to include further details and clarifications," they added.

That said, Oura has also claimed victory in the case. It contacted Android Central on Tuesday (Sept.2) regarding the ongoing case over patent claims. Oura informed us that Ultrahuman's lawsuit against them "has been dismissed" by the Delhi High Court in India. "Ultrahuman’s non-disclosure of the US ITC’s initial and final determinations, which were material to its complaint, was found to be willful and deliberate by the Delhi High Court," Oura added.

Oura adds, "Ultrahuman’s non-disclosure of the US ITC’s initial and final determinations, which were material to its complaint, was found to be willful and deliberate by the Delhi High Court."

The Smart Ring Rivalry

On August 22, word broke that Ultrahuman had filed a lawsuit against Oura, accusing the brand's Ring 4 of "ripping off" its patented smart ring technology. The suit was placed within the Delhi High Court in India. Ultrahuman argued that its competitor, Oura, was riding a little too close for comfort with its smart ring features, like "women’s health tracking, glucose monitoring, and non-paywalled data features without permission."

At the time, an Ultrahuman spokesperson said the company has "no choice but to defend its innovation." Aside from the "sleep, recovery, and circadian health" insights mentioned, Ultrahuman said there was another sharp divide between both brands: the use of paywalled and non-paywalled content.

The lawsuit brought to the Delhi High Court was Ultrahuman seeking to "defend" a specific patent and keep itself at the forefront of open health data. However, concerning Oura's paywalled content, it said locking "them behind a paywall is anti-innovation and anti-consumer."

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman has sued Oura in India, accusing the Oura Ring 4 of ripping off its patented smart ring tech.
• The dispute centers on sleep tracking, circadian tools, and women’s health features that Ultrahuman says it pioneered.
• Unlike Oura’s subscription-heavy model, Ultrahuman pushes “no paywall” health data and modular add-ons called PowerPlugs.

Update

As word about Ultrahuman's lawsuit with Oura spreads, the latter has delivered a statement to Android Central about the matter. Oura's statement is as follows:

“Ultrahuman’s lawsuit in India has no merit and is a blatant attempt to distract from their decisive U.S. defeat. The International Trade Commission ruled unequivocally that Ultrahuman infringed on ŌURA’s intellectual property, blocking all of their smart rings—and components—from the U.S. market through exclusion and cease-and-desist orders. This ruling validates not only the strength of ŌURA’s patents, but also our long-term IP strategy. We’ve now established, at the most rigorous levels of review, that ŌURA’s patents are valid and enforceable—precedent that will shape the future of this category. The facts are clear: ŌURA innovates, Ultrahuman imitates.”

The original article can be read below.

Ultrahuman has filed a patent infringement case against Finnish rival Oura, claiming that the latest Oura Ring copies key features from its own Ultrahuman Ring Air.

The core of the dispute centers on the technology inside Oura's smart rings. The lawsuit, which was lodged in the Delhi High Court, says the Oura Ring 4 incorporates patented elements of its design, including how sensors, construction, and onboard processing come together to deliver insights on sleep, recovery, and circadian health.

The company argues that Oura has been riding on its innovations, especially in women’s health tracking, glucose monitoring, and non-paywalled data features without permission.

An Ultrahuman spokesperson pointed to Oura's broader business conduct as part of the reason for taking legal action. The company referenced past media reports that have criticized Oura's "backroom deals" and described a "pattern of indiscriminate assertion of patent infringement against any and all competitors."

The spokesperson said the company had “no choice but to defend its innovation,” pointing to previous reports criticizing Oura’s business practices and lawsuits.

Paywall vs. progress: The ideology behind a legal fight

The lawsuit highlights a philosophical split in the wearable market. Ultrahuman has built its brand on offering features without a mandatory subscription, a direct contrast to Oura's subscription model. The company argues that replicating innovations only to lock them behind a paywall is "anti-innovation and anti-consumer."

Ultrahuman has been pushing several industry-first features to differentiate itself. This includes the acquisition of viO Healthtech, which led to a smart ring feature for tracking ovulation with over 90% accuracy.

It also offers modular add-ons called PowerPlugs, which let users customize their ring with capabilities like AFib detection or specialized modes for shift workers.

The fight for truly ownable health insights

With this lawsuit, Ultrahuman says it isn't just defending a specific patent; it's positioning itself as a defender of open health data and Indian innovation on the global stage.

The case will be one to watch for anyone interested in the increasingly competitive and valuable wearable health market.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman announced the acquisition of viO Health Tech, which helped facilitate its newest PowerPlug: Cycle & Ovulation Pro.
• This feature helps users understand their cycles on a more diverse scale, as many don't fall within the "normal" 28-day cycle range.
• Ultrahuman states its cycle and ovulation tracking/monitoring can help women with PCOS and endometriosis.
• This new PowerPlug is rolling out for Ring Air users in the U.S., EU, U.K., Canada, and Australia for $3.99 per month or $39 per year.

Ultrahuman announces a major health-focused feature to help women better track their menstrual cycles and ovulation periods.

This afternoon (Aug 15), Ultrahuman announced that it has acquired viO Health Tech, which has facilitated the launch of the company's Cycle & Ovulation Pro for the Ring Air. This feature is rolling out now for consumers in the U.S., EU, U.K., Canada, and Australia. Ultrahuman states viO is designed for women with "diverse cycle patterns" as most tracking services are only centered around regular 28-day cycles.

Behind the Cycle & Ovulation Pro feature is Ultrahuman's "15 years of R&D." The press release states the feature utilizes a temperature-sensing algorithm that was originally for viO's OvuSense. This algorithm has reportedly cleared the FDA hurdles for "intervaginal temperature-based ovulation tracking."

This algorithm will monitor and display changes within a woman's body as time goes on.

Ultrahuman states women should gain a better understanding of their cycles and ovulation periods as their lives continue to evolve. Cycle & Ovulation Pro is said to collect a woman's "physiological patterns and temperature biomarkers" through the Ring Air. This provides tracking on the Ring Air that is estimated to be 90% or higher in accuracy. Additionally, Cycle & Ovulation Pro will offer fertility planning support for women, guiding them through various cycle types for "accurate ovulation confirmations."

Logging changes & Understanding Patterns

Cycle Flags are another aspect of this Pro feature. Ultrahuman says Cycle Flags take into account your temperature data to "suggest hidden patterns" to help you understand cycle variability. Certain trends can include "early or late ovulation, short luteal phase, the absence of ovulation," and more. As previously mentioned, the Cycle & Ovulation Pro feature is designed to help all women, even those outside of the "normal" 28-cycle period.

Ultrahuman says its feature is designed to help women with PCOS or endometriosis.

Lastly, Cycle & Ovulation Pro contains a logging feature, letting women note their moods, symptoms, and any changes in behavior. These changes could correlate with "cycle phases," per Ultrahuman, and could help women better identify "long-term" wellness trends.

Cycle & Ovulation Pro is available for users with the Ultrahuman Ring Air in the U.S., EU, U.K., Canada, and Australia for $3.99 per month or $39 per year. The company teases that other regions are to come. More importantly, those using the regular Cycle & Ovulation PowerPlug can still do so without any disruptions.

Smart rings are one of the fastest-growing wearable categories today. But based on information Ultrahuman shared with me, most of its customers are iPhone owners. As a writer for an Android site, I was curious why — and what that means for Android-only smart rings like the Galaxy Ring.

It's rare for tech companies to share their Android/iOS splits. But during an Ultrahuman factory tour when I got to make a smart ring by hand, the Ultrahuman execs shared a couple of surprising factoids about their smart ring business.

First, the Ultrahuman Ring Air has blown up in popularity. Its business has grown by 15 times in the last 18 months, and its share of total smart ring sales grew from 12% in 2023 to 35% in 2024, according to IDC stats. The Oura Ring still dominates more than half of global sales, but the sub-free Ring Air has done well.

Apparently, Ultrahuman has female customers to thank for this surge. In 2023, 75% of its customers identified as male in the app; now, 60% of its users are female.

At the same time, Ultrahuman confirmed that 75–80% of Ultrahuman's customers use the iOS app, and that hasn't changed much over the last couple of years. While its European and Asian sales may skew Android, as soon as the U.S. became the Ring Air's largest market, iOS became the overwhelming focus.

While I don't have stats for other companies, this Cognitive Market Research report includes charts showing that a majority of smart ring owners use Android worldwide, but that at least 40% of smart ring sales come in North America.

And again, about 75–80% of North American smart ring owners use iOS, even though nearly half of North American phones use Android.

Why many Android users haven't hopped on the smart ring train yet

I asked Ultrahuman's CEO and CBO about this iOS/Android gap. They answered that iOS users like "closed systems" and put more stock on "aesthetics," and so they're happy to buy an all-in-one device like a smart ring that curates the experience and information for you.

He also mentioned it being a matter of demographics, that iOS users — or North American techies — might have more discretionary income to spend on smart rings.

By contrast, he thinks that Android users like "customization," "personalization," and the ability to "overclock" devices with enough effort. A screen-less smart ring doesn't fit that description, because you can't peek under the hood or activate developer settings (as you can on Wear OS).

Another reason could be the Galaxy Ring, since so many Android users prefer Galaxy phones and might want the best integration. An unconfirmed report suggested Samsung bumped its Galaxy Ring production from 400,000 to 1 million last year due to high demand, so maybe the Android crowd simply ignored non-Samsung options.

It's odd, then, that IDC sales figures don't seem to reflect that, with Oura and Ultrahuman owning close to 90% of global smart ring sales by the end of 2024.

I believe the Galaxy Ring's Android exclusivity works against it because North Americans with disposable income for a $399 ring either (A) own an iPhone or (B) already have a Galaxy Watch or another smartwatch that costs less and does more.

Worldwide, Android users with less income still buy smart rings, based on the stats available. But they have so many options in the $150–300 range that the Galaxy Ring has trouble standing out, besides the Samsung label.

How smart rings might appeal more to the Android crowd

Ultrahuman's Mohit Kumar believes their business won't be quite as iOS-skewed once they push more sales in Europe and Asia. But still, there's a reason why they started making their rings in Texas: smart rings have a growing market Stateside. So demographics aside, I asked whether they want to court the North American Android crowd more.

He argued that they're already taking those steps by adding more customization to the Ultrahuman app. PowerPlugs allow users to choose what data they see like AFib or Vitamin D, and the new UltraSignal developer platform and public APIs let anyone access the PPG data and use it for their own applications.

Otherwise, if we're talking "power users," then a Galaxy Ring 2 could deliver closer integration with other devices, like gestures to control smart glasses, NFC for Samsung Pay, or haptic feedback for phone notifications.

But most smart rings will remain understated, fashionable, and somewhat expensive wellness or medical devices, rather than customizable, overclockable tech.

Obviously, some Android users buy smart rings! But I'm curious if, as a collective, they'll ever embrace rings as iOS users have, or if they'll happily stick with Wear OS watches or fitness watches and see smart rings as an expensive novelty more than a necessity.

This week, I flew to Plano, Texas, to check out Ultrahuman's new factory. After they walked me through every official step of manufacturing a smart ring, I did my best impression of a factory worker and built an Ultrahuman Ring Air from the raw parts. And it gave me a new appreciation for my own smart ring.

Smart rings aren't designed to be taken apart and put back together like other tech. You might know what sensors are inside, but you probably don't know what else is sitting inside all that titanium, resin, and ceramic, and what determines how thick these rings are.

But with Ultrahuman's Ring Air in a sales and patent war with the Oura Ring, the company decided to show off its new American factory. This had the nice side effect of finally sating our curiosity about how smart rings are made, something other brands have been reluctant to talk to us about.

Plus, now I get to say that I helped make a smart ring that someone in the U.S. will buy!

How smart rings are made

The photo galleries below show nearly every step of Ultrahuman's smart ring-making process, starting with the creation of printed circuit boards (PCBs), which contain the SoC, PPG, IMU, temperature, and Bluetooth components.

These components are mass-producible — an engineer suggested one machine could produce 10,000 PCBs in a day — and made of fiberglass, polyamide, and ceramic materials, chosen to make them bendable enough to slide naturally into the rounded ring shape.

But the "UltraFactory" currently only makes about 400 smart rings per day, though Ultrahuman has promised to hit about 1,350 per day or 500,000 per year by the end of 2025. There are several pain points, starting with the fact that the other mass-produced components have to be soldered onto the PCB by hand.

After they create the PCBs, do internal and external spot checks for any flaws, and program each PCB with the requisite software, they're ready for the next step: soldering.

First, the Rx coil is soldered onto the PCB; then, the battery is soldered onto the coil. They brush off the excess alloy, leaving one seamless, bendable component ready to be inserted into the ring.

With a 3D-printed part, the welded-together PCB is curved into a proper J shape. The workers then apply glue to the titanium-carbon ring you're familiar with, remove the cover for the PCB's adhesive layer, and finally shove the component into place.

They do a software check — since technically, you could wear the ring at this point — and then place the ring inside a silicone mold. One mold with 12 rings is brought to the casting station, which is one part of the factory where they wouldn't let us photograph or record.

There, they inject epoxy resin into the ring from the thickest portion — the PPG — inside a vacuum-sealed chamber to prevent any resin bubbles. The process takes 24 hours, because heating the resin to harden it faster would damage the components. Ultrahuman said this casting process is one of the big pain points that slows down the ring process.

At this point, the smart ring is almost ready to be worn, but the resin will look rough and have hard edges that'll hurt your finger. They spend about 30 minutes cleaning and polishing it into consumer-ready form.

Once that's done, they do one more software check to ensure everything is up to code. Then, they place the ring on a 3D-printed part to check its size; if it won't fit or slides all the way down the cylinder, they know it's not to code. Otherwise, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is ready to be sold!

How I made a smart ring

If you've been paying attention, you'll note that I couldn't make a smart ring from start to finish during this tour. The 24-hour resin process made that impossible. So it's more accurate to say that I got halfway through making a smart ring and then returned a different smart ring for the final part of the process. Nor did I get to handle any software or hardware QC.

I'm still going to say I made a smart ring, though. They told me my halfway-done smart ring would eventually be sold to someone, and that's pretty neat.

Following the steps above, I soldered the receiver coil onto the PCB by scraping some adhesive onto the coil and then stepping on a switch to trigger the machine (without burning off my thumbnail, thankfully). I then had to solder two separate points to attach the battery before brushing away the excess adhesive.

I curved the Ring Air components so they would fit inside, ripped off the adhesive with tweezers, shoved them inside the ring, and then pressed hard on the sensors to make them stick.

I was sure my clumsy, shaking fingers would break something, but it turned out my only issue was being too gentle. One portion came loose as I started to shove my smart ring into the casting mold, but I got it reattached and waved farewell to my ring.

Then they gave me another ring further along in the process and had me clean off the resin, using an electric spinning brush, sandpaper, and some 3M buffing fluid. I didn't get to finish the full 15+ minutes before Ultrahuman staff hustled me along to my interview, but I can honestly say I got that Ring Air into good enough shape that the resin wouldn't cut any fingers or look unsightly.

How smart ring manufacturing might change

I asked Ultrahuman's CEO, Mohit Kumar, and chief business officer, Bhuvan Srinivasan, about smart ring repairability, a major issue with all smart rings. The resin that keeps components in place and protected also makes it all but impossible to take rings apart for repair, and there are no visible buttons for resetting a malfunctioning ring.

They explained that they hope to add a tiny, hidden button to their smart rings. If a Ring Air is sent in for repair, they'll be able to remove a tiny bit of resin to hold down that button and reboot the ring into a mode where it can receive firmware updates.

I asked if they had any hopes for a more modular design that would let them remove and replace a battery, since smart ring batteries are so small and susceptible to losing capacity after a couple of years. Kumar replied that they're interested in it, but I got the sense that it's more of a pie-in-the-sky goal than something they're actively pursuing at the moment.

For now, they're more focused on optimization. Because American labor costs are higher than in their Indian facility, they're looking to make the process more efficient; for example, they found a new casting machine that would inject resin into four times as many rings at once, breaking open that bottleneck in the factory line.

As for me, I'm curious how the manufacturing processes of other smart rings differ from those of Ultrahuman and how they are evolving as the tech improves. But proprietary differences aside, the UltraFactory experience gave me respect for the amount of quality control that goes into making a smart ring — while also surprising me that someone like me with no industrial experience can go through the steps with enough hand-holding and patience.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman says its new "UltraFactory" facility in Texas will "soon scale its production" to 500,000 Ring Airs per year.
• SVtronics, a U.S.-based electronics manufacturer, partnered with Ultrahuman last November to open the facility.
• Oura recently disputed Ultrahuman's claims of a Texas-based facility in its ITC case against the company, as part of a patent dispute.

India-based smart ring brand Ultrahuman has announced plans to produce 100% of its popular Ring Air devices for U.S. customers in its Texas "UltraFactory" by the end of 2025, showing no signs of slowing down despite its current legal hurdles.

While Ultrahuman says this facility currently produces 400 Ring Air units per day, the eventual goal is to "soon scale its production to more than half a million units annually" — or at least 1,370 per day — so that it no longer needs to import any smart rings from India.

"The UltraFactory in Plano, Texas, allows us to deliver products faster, enhance quality control, and further strengthen our commitment to American consumers to bring them cutting-edge health technology," says Ultrahuman CEO Mohit Kumar.

The press release goes on to say that domestic smart ring production will ensure "faster shipping, better service, and increased reliability." It would also help Ultrahuman avoid any tariffs on ring sales, while creating "hundreds of high-skilled jobs" in Plano.

Ultrahuman is "doubling down" in spite of Oura's ITC lawsuit

Oura is trying to stop Ultrahuman and other smart ring makers from selling or importing their products in the United States. This announcement shows that Ultrahuman will stick to business as usual, unless the International Trade Commission (ITC) forces the issue.

A recent U.S. ITC judge ruled against Ultrahuman in favor of Oura over alleged patent infringements, though it was merely an initial determination. In that ruling, the judge disputed Ultrahuman's claims that it had a manufacturing facility in Texas, suggesting it had submitted slides with Photoshopped images of the Ultrahuman logo added to SVTronics facilities.

The judge called this a "concerning issue regarding Ultrahuman's credibility," and clearly, Ultrahuman hopes to refute this concern by publicly unveiling the UltraFactory as a real and productive facility.

In a blog post titled "So what’s the patent that Oura is suing everyone for?" Ultrahuman makes its case for why Oura's smart ring patent shouldn't apply to them, claiming it has a strong case to dispute the initial findings in post-review and that "70% of such proceedings result in invalidation of all challenged claims."

It then boasts about its Texas facilities as the "first-ever Smart ring manufacturing facility" in the United States and says it will "double down" on U.S. sales rather than preemptively accept the ruling.

Meanwhile, Oura's blog post praises the patent system as a "cornerstone of American innovation" and its "talented team members based in the U.S.," while decrying the "dishonest tactics" of its "foreign competitors." Clearly, both smart ring brands see value in looking as "American" as possible as this legal battle proceeds.

Ultimately, the ITC filing notes that Oura and competing brands like the Samsung Galaxy Ring have "the manufacturing capability to replace RingConn and Ultrahuman's accused products if they are excluded from the U.S. market." But given this UltraFactory announcement, Ultrahuman has no plans to cede its U.S. smart ring business just yet.

What you need to know

• The Ultrahuman Rare Desert Collection was announced at CES 2025, available in Desert Rose, Dune, and Desert Snow.
• It uses similar components to the Ultrahuman Ring Air, including sleep, movement, and health tracking.
• They start at £1,499, well above the normal cost for smart rings, with premium gold or platinum materials.

Smart rings have always struck a balance between smarts and style. The Ultrahuman Rare will lean heavily towards the latter, with truly premium materials and a "handcrafted" design that'll blend in more as traditional jewelry. And I suspect it'll be the first smart ring of many to go all in on luxury.

Announced at CES 2025, the Ultrahuman Rare "Desert Collection" will come in Desert Rose, Dune, and Desert Snow. The first two use 18K gold sourced from "approved refineries" and cost £1,499, while Rare Desert Snow uses PT950 Platinum (meaning it's 95% platinum) and jumps to £1,799.

All three luxury smart rings will have a brushed texture on the outer shell that's meant to reflect light in distinct ways, standing out from the typical matte or glossy appearance of normal titanium smart rings.

On the inside, of course, Ultrahuman Rare rings are normal. Like the £329 Ultrahuman Ring Air, the Rare series has 6-axis motion sensors, PPG, and skin temp sensors that track sleep quality, recovery, and activity. Ultrahuman says that "what sets the Rare apart...is the complex engineering that goes into making a robust yet aesthetic form factor out of gold, platinum, and rose gold."

Anyone who buys the extravagant Ultrahuman Rare will get a lifetime subscription to UltrahumanX — meaning the company would theoretically replace your Rare if it's stolen — and access to all current and future PowerPlugs like AFib detection and smart alarms, without having to pay for access.

Still, the Ultrahuman Rare will be darn expensive when it launches in mid-January; the priciest rival smart ring at the moment is the $499 Oura Ring 4 in Gold or Rose Gold. Plus, it'll be exclusively available in two department stores: Selfridges in London and Printemps in Paris.

I doubt if the Ultrahuman Rare will sell anywhere near the scale of traditional smart rings at that price, but I've heard stories of people using smart rings as wedding bands, and I'm curious if tech-savvy folks would want to pay a premium for better materials, while still getting normal sleep tracking.

The big question, in my mind, will be longevity. Ultrahuman says in its FAQ page that "a gradual reduction in battery life can be expected after 1 to 2 years" for any smart ring. So what happens when your expensive Ultrahuman Rare starts requiring frequent charges to keep working? I doubt Ultrahuman can dissemble its luxury rings to replace the battery and send it back, though I'd love to be surprised.

Whatever happens with the Ultrahuman Rare Desert Collection, I'm sure we'll see more partnerships like this in the future, across brands. Imagine if you could find a premium Samsung Galaxy Ring in a Macy's, or an Oura Ring Luxe with a limited-edition run partnered with Tiffany & Co.

No doubt there'll be a market for luxury smart rings, with people paying extra for style without as much focus on exclusive smarts. And the same could easily apply to smart glasses, with more premium styles paired with speakers, cameras, and AI.

I don't typically use alarms because I hate being jolted out of REM sleep, as if the noise punched me awake and left me sullen and sluggish. Waking up on my own isn't usually a problem, but on days I can't risk oversleeping, I'd sure love my phone alarm to have a target wake-up range, using my smartwatch or smart ring data to hold off until I'm in my light sleep stage.

[Infomercial voice] But wait, now I can!

I own the Ultrahuman Ring Air, one of the best smart rings for dependable health and sleep accuracy without needing a subscription. On Wednesday, the Ultrahuman team announced the 2024 holiday update, including an upcoming "Smart Alarm" PowerPlug feature.

The feature is still "coming soon" in the app, but Smart Alarm will "sync with your sleep cycles, gently waking you up during light sleep, with wake-up tunes crafted with sleep and music science — ensuring the perfect start to your day."

Ultrahuman PowerPlugs are essentially optional widgets for Ring Air owners to add niche data like AFib detection, jet lag tracking, Vitamin D, ovulation, heart adaptability to stressors, or pregnancy insights to their normal Today tab. But this new Smart Alarm tool, as the name suggests, is more of a traditional "smart" feature that you'd get on a watch, which I appreciate.

I'm confident Ultrahuman's Smart Alarm can work. Why? Because I've already tried it...with the Fitbit Charge 6, which — like most other Fitbits — has a Smart Wake alarm setting that begins looking for a light-sleep stage 30 minutes before your target wake-up. Even though I hate wearing watches to bed, I tried it during my Charge 6 review and found it worked as intended, avoiding any sudden jolts awake.

But since I'm the Wearables lead, I switch brands from week to week. Most brands don't offer a similar feature, and Fitbit itself won't make any more smartwatches. Google, which owns Fitbit, hasn't ported Smart Wake to the Pixel Watch 3, only offering basic alarm scheduling. Most watch and band owners don't have a tool like it.

Nearly any Android smartwatch (or Apple Watch) will have detailed sleep-stage breakdowns within a few minutes of waking up. So I'd imagine some simple if/then conditionals would make this feature possible: If the time is during the requested wake-up window, check the current sleep stage; if deep or REM, wait 1 minute, then check again; if light, trigger the alarm; and if users hit the end of the wake-up window while still in REM, trigger alarm anyways so they don't oversleep.

Ultrahuman's Smart Alarm also has the option to trigger an alarm once the user clears their sleep debt, which I find very cool. My partner doesn't like setting alarms because she has occasional anxious, sleepless nights, but other nights she'll oversleep until she has an hour of negative sleep debt. Ultrahuman's conditional "only wake up when you're rested" alarm would be perfect for her.

So many brands today emphasize things like sleep coaching or daily energy scores. Imagine if your Garmin watch had a conditional alarm that only buzzed your wrist when you hit a high-enough Body Battery score. The same would apply to your Oura Ring 4 and its Oura Readiness score, your Galaxy Watch 7 and its daily Energy Score, and so on.

I know some smart alarm clocks detect your stage by picking up movement, but those don't work as well for couples since either person could trigger the not-dreaming state. Apps like Sleep Cycle that pick up movement noises with your phone mic may have the same problem, and wouldn't work as well if you use white noise apps to sleep. Basically, I'd rather use a watch's direct heart rate and movement data, and cut out the guesswork.

Since my partner and I both own Ultrahuman Ring Airs, we don't need to worry about other smartwatches or rings; we're getting this feature soon. But it's my job to care about my readers' needs, too, and I think a lot of people — and the loved ones suffering from their wrong-side-of-the-bed grumpiness — would benefit from more graceful wake-ups. Here's hoping that by the end of 2025, more brands will follow in Fitbit and Ultrahuman's footsteps with smarter alarms!

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Design

There's only so much you can do with the design of a smart ring, and as a result both the Galaxy Ring and Ultrahuman's Ring Air end up looking largely identical. The Galaxy Ring is made out of titanium and is available in a multitude of colors, and it is light enough that you don't notice it. While Samsung says it uses a scratch-resistant coating, that hasn't been the case on my colleague Nick Sutrich's unit, which picked up visible scratches in just a week of use.

The Ring Air is also made out of titanium, and it has matte and glossy colors that contrast the design well. it is a smidgen lighter than the Galaxy Ring, and it is extremely comfortable in daily use; I barely even notice that I'm wearing a smart ring these days. It has its share of scratches as well, so I'd recommend getting a lighter color.

Both rings have a similar set of sensors, and they're recommended to be used on your index or middle fingers. Samsung and Ultrahuman send out sizing kits so you can accurately determine your ring size, and as both brands use custom sizing, it's recommend you try out the designs in the sizing kit to gauge the fit.

Both smart rings have ridges on the underside where the sensors come into contact with your finger, and while I thought it would be uncomfortable, that hasn't been the case at all. The only difference to a regular ring is that smart rings are noticeably bigger, but they're lighter than they look, and at least with the Ring Air, there wasn't any issue with the design or fit.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Health and activity tracking

Smart rings offer a significantly easier way to monitor fitness and health data, and while they don't have an extensive feature-set like the best smartwatches, they're great at the basics. Both rings measure 24/7 heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature, and they monitor stress levels throughout the day.

When it comes to activity monitoring, the Ring Air has been inconsistent in my usage, and the data isn't as reliable as a regular smartwatch. That said, subsequent updates have made a difference, and the key point is that it does a better job than the Galaxy Ring.

The Ring Air didn't have automatic workout detection, and it was a point of contention when I started using the smart ring earlier in the year. Thankfully, Ultrahuman added the feature via a software update, and while it is buggy at times, it is a great new addition. So even if you don't manually start an activity before working out, it will start tracking your activity levels and vitals, and give you a notification within the app to log the activity.

The Galaxy Ring also has this feature, but it only does so with two activities: running and walking. That limits its ability to measure workouts on its own, and the Ring Air has the edge in this regard. Another area where the smart ring outshines Samsung is sleep monitoring; I got useful metrics out of the Ring Air, but the Galaxy Ring still has a long way to do in this area — it just doesn't provide reliable details.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Battery and connectivity

Both smart rings connect via Bluetooth, and they have decent battery life. I got four days of usage out of the Ring Air between charges, and while that's good enough in its own right, the Galaxy Ring does better. Samsung's smart ring manages to last a day longer than the Ring Air, so that should give you at least five days of usage. Samsung's charging dock looks pretty cool too, and although the Galaxy Ring has a smaller battery, it has better longevity.

Where the Ring Air has a distinct advantage is connectivity; it doesn't lock any features to a platform, and you get the same feature-set on all Android phones and iPhones. You don't need to pay any monthly fees to use all the features, although Ultrahuman is rolling out custom additions that cost extra — they're not necessary if you just want a smart ring to monitor activity and health data.

Annoyingly, Samsung restricts the usability of the Galaxy Ring in several ways; find my device is exclusive to Galaxy phones, so if you use another Android device, you can't use the feature to locate your Galaxy Ring. There's no way to use the smart ring with an iPhone — unlike the Ring Air — and the most egregious feature limitation is gestures; the Galaxy Ring has a few gestures to control your phone, but you need a Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Which should you buy?

If you have a Samsung phone and want a smart ring to go with the device, the Galaxy Ring should be a decent choice. It isn't available in all regions just yet, and it costs more than its rivals, and it just doesn't have the same robust feature-set as the Ring Air. That's obviously going to change over the coming months as Samsung adds features to the smart ring, but if you need something that's fleshed-out now, the Galaxy Ring isn't it.

The Ring Air is a much better alternative. It has better automatic workout detection, has usable metrics that work on all platforms, and does a good job with sleep monitoring. It also costs less, and although the battery doesn't last as long as the Galaxy Ring, I consistently got four days of use between charges, and that's decent enough. If I had to recommend a smart ring, it'd have to be the Ring Air.

What you need to know

• Ultrahuman announced a new app platform for the Ultrahuman Ring AIR called "PowerPlugs."
• Ring AIR owners can add personalized insights to the app like AFib detection, weight loss, Vitamin D, Jet Lag, and Pregnancy Mode.
• The Ring AIR will be the first smart ring with AFib detection, though it's only available in "select geographies."
• Ultrahuman also announced a new "sleep debt" feature last week.

Ultrahuman is personalizing its smart ring software with PowerPlugs, downloadable plug-ins that track specific data like atrial fibrillation (AFib) based on your lifestyle and needs. This, along with its new "sleep debt" feature, is an exciting reminder that Samsung and Oura aren't the only two players making waves in the smart ring market.

I spoke with Ultrahuman CEO Mohit Kumar about the new PowerPlugs, which he described as an app store for the Ultrahuman Ring Air. 

"If you buy a smartphone, you don't need to download every app in the store," Kumar said. With a smart ring, he argues, the principle is the same: different users have different "use cases," and a frequent traveler or a homebody focused on weight loss will need different info highlighted in their smart ring app.

"Over the next few years, you could expect thousands of applications to be built on top of Ultrahuman's comprehensive health data platform," Kumar claims. 

He told me that Ultrahuman has gotten several requests from developers to use its SDK for clinical trials, and specifically is working with one team to find "mental health biomarkers" to better quantify the physical affects of mental health and anxiety. 

Now, devs will be able to use "UltraSignal," its developer platform, to work on their own smart ring programs.

AFib detection is the headline PowerPlug feature, though Ultrahuman is still working with regulatory bodies to get it approved in some countries. If activated, it'll trigger spurts of continuous PPG readings at night to catch approximately "91%" of irregular heart rhythm events.

I asked Kumar why other smart rings hadn't tracked AFib before. He explained the many challenges: the sensor must be "sensitive" enough to catch AFib but specific enough to avoid false positives. Unlike some smartwatches with continuous passive AFib detection, the Ultrahuman Ring Air will only check at night to reduce the odds of false readings from "noise" like caffeine.

He also noted that aside from needing clinical validation, they need to validate the smart ring form factor itself. He said that they "want to build trust by working with regulators and the FDA" since data like AFib is "extremely powerful." And he argued that the team's work on other medical devices (like their glucose monitor) made them well-suited to launch this feature before other smart ring brands like Oura.

Ultrahuman's PowerPlug for AFib will draw slightly more power — "maybe 5% extra battery life" — but most other add-ons will use already available data and interpret it using the cloud. In theory, you can add as many PowerPlugs as you want, Kumar says, but most people won't need every tracked metric.

Other early Ultrahuman PowerPlugs include Caffeine Window, Circadian Rhythm, Cycle Tracking, Jet Lag, Ovulation, Pregnancy Mode, and Vitamin D. You can already find some of this data in the Ultrahuman app, like when to avoid too much caffeine or light, but it appears this new system will partition that info so you don't have to see it if it's irrelevant to you.

The Vitamin D plug-in sounds intriguing. It'll calculate "optimal times for you to step outside, based on your skin type, location, and current UV index" before "estimating how much Vitamin D (in IU) your skin will absorb during your session.

Regarding future smart ring applications, Kumar explained that they look at specific use cases and feedback from Ultrahuman Ring Air users to plan out what data to add next. They then need to prove that they can accurately produce that information before rolling it out to the public.

Kumar says that his ideal future PowerPlug will focus on in-depth stress data. Although the Ring Air has a stress rhythm score, he believes that the way most wearables track stress using heart rate or electrodermal response (EDA) is "primitive" and that he wants to go a layer deeper than heart rate variability (HRV) in the future.

He also mentioned sleep deficiency, hearkening to Ultrahuman's new Sleep Debt feature that shows the impact of long-term bad sleep habits, and that one long night of catch-up sleep won't erase the deficit.

A new perspective on smart rings

With the Samsung Galaxy Ring launching later this month, the smart ring category will get more public recognition and advertising. The Oura Ring is its natural rival as the top-selling smart ring and its legal foe, but other smart ring brands will take advantage of this window as well.

What I find exciting about Ultrahuman's PowerPlug launch is its ambition and customization. People new to smart rings see them as mini-smartwatches with fewer features and limited room to grow. But smart rings released years ago keep adding new data points using the same data, crowding the apps with a ton of information.

Most wearables claim to track "stress" in some way, but oftentimes users find that the biomarkers companies use don't match their real-life experience. Whether Ultrahuman or another smart ring brand can dive deeper into mental health data, that's a positive development.

Whether or not we actually see "thousands" of PowerPlugs, I love the vision of third-party developers creating smart ring "apps" based on common data and allowing consumers to tailor their smart ring app experience to something useful for their specific lifestyle. 

Samsung's Galaxy AI has a few personalized Wellness Tips for Galaxy Ring owners related to specific data like resting heart rate and sleep quality. My hope is that Samsung continues to expand on these customized efforts and that other smart rings focus on personalization as well.

I used smartwatches for close to a decade, starting out with Android Wear and switching over to the Apple Watch five years ago. I like the convenience it offers; it's great to mirror notifications to my wrist without pulling up my phone, and it's an easier way to set timers and reminders.

The one thing I've never done consistently is sleep tracking — it's just annoying to have to wear a watch to bed, and the few times I tried it, I didn't get usable metrics, so I decided to not bother. That's where the Ultrahuman Ring Air comes into the equation; I started using the smart ring three months ago, and it has drastically changed my point of view of wearables.

A smart ring isn't anywhere as cumbersome in daily use, and most of the time, I don't even realize I'm wearing one. The Ring Air has a minimalist design that doesn't belie its smarts, and there's a titanium option available. The wearable does a great job getting out of the way, and that's the reason why I like it so much; it doesn't obviate the need for a smartwatch, but augments its functionality.

The biggest differentiator in my use case is sleep monitoring; having a smart ring log sleep data is much less of a hassle, and it does a good job in this situation, offering detailed metrics. Ultrahuman's app has good insights into daily activity levels and heart rate data, and while it gets a bit annoying about suggestions — like avoiding caffeine stimulants — it is great to use overall.

Another reason why I use the Ring Air daily is the battery life; I still only get a day's worth of use out of Android smartwatches, but the smart ring manages to last up to four days on a charge, and that absolutely makes a difference. While Ultrahuman saw a modicum of attention with the Ring Air, the category in itself is still in its infancy, and it will take the likes of Samsung — and its advertising might — to get mainstream user interest. With Samsung slated to launch the Galaxy Ring shortly, here's what I want to see in the wearable.

Activity monitoring

While the Ring Air is decent at measuring number of steps walked over the course of the day, it doesn't do as good a job with workouts. You'll need to manually log workouts, and have the app active in the background to monitor activity — I made the mistake of launching a workout and closing it, only to see that it doesn't track activity that way.

The second issue is that workout data is inconsistent, and that's something Samsung needs to get absolutely right with the Galaxy Ring. Samsung has a wealth of history it can leverage from its Galaxy Watch series, and the brand needs to offer the ability to log a variety of workouts, and even have automatic workout detection — that would be a big bonus.

Comfortable fit

While most smartwatches undoubtedly look the part of tech accessories — this is particularly true of Samsung's offerings — a smart ring needs to be fashionable. A bigger consideration is the fit; as it's something you wear on your finger, it needs to be light and svelte, and Ultrahuman nailed the design brief with the Ring Air in this regard.

Based on the little that Samsung revealed of the Galaxy Ring, it looks like the brand's smart ring will follow similar design guidelines. Samsung tends to go overboard with features, and that's not something I want in a smart ring; I don't require notification alerts or LEDs on the thing — I just need a wearable that's unobtrusive.

Good battery life

This is the area where Samsung needs to pay particular attention; the Galaxy Watch 6 manages to last two days on a charge, but the Galaxy Ring needs to at least double that. It shouldn't be hard to achieve as the existing slate of smart rings hit that number comfortably, but Samsung made enough mistakes in the wearable category in the past, and it needs to avoid making new ones.

I haven't really cared about Samsung's wearables for a long time now, but I am excited about the Galaxy Ring. Smart rings are the next big thing in wearables, and Samsung is ideally positioned to take this segment into its next phase of growth. While it would be great to see an aggressive price for the Galaxy Ring, that's unlikely — if the brand manages to not get sucked into a subscription-based offering, I'll count that as a win.

It's been over a decade since the first smart ring was introduced, giving people another option to track their health, but it wasn't until recently that the tech caught on. Now, there are quite a few different options on the market, but you may find yourself comparing two of the most popular ones at the moment: the Ultrahuman Ring Air and Oura Ring Gen 3.

You may have tried fitness trackers or one of the best smartwatches to get the job done, but if you don't want a shiny display distracting you, then one of these smart rings might be the solution since it gives you the info your smartwatch does but without the diversion. So, how do these rings compare? Hopefully this will help you decide on your next wearable.

Ultrahuman Ring Air vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Design and Comfort

When it comes to wearables, one question that always comes up is how comfortable it will be. Ultrahuman's smart ring has a uniform and spartan design, and according to Micheal Hicks' Ultrahuman Ring Air review, you don't feel like you're wearing a ring but something tech. The design is more functional than stylish, and at 2.5 millimeters thick and weighing just 3 grams, it's thinner and lighter than the Oura Ring Gen 3. 

Overall, it has a sleek look, with a tiny sensor bump at the bottom that makes it more comfortable to wear. The ring is available in Raw Titanium, Aster Black, Bionic Gold, Matte Grey, and Space Silver. Regarding sizes, the Ultrahuman Ring Air goes from a size five to a size 14. You'll need to try the sizing kit ring and wear it for one day to get the right size, but to speed things up, you can try Ultrahuman's e-sizing system. The sizes may differ slightly from US ring sizes, and they don't offer half sizes.

The Oura Ring Gen 3 features three sensors or bumps that might feel uncomfortable to some but go largely unnoticed. It's available in a bevy of colors and styles, including matte black, Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, Titanium, and Dark Gray. The ring comes in two designs: the Heritage and the Horizon. The difference between the two is that the Heritage design has a little ridge on the top that is meant to face the dorsal side of your hand, while the Horizon design is fully circular and has a small dimple-type design meant to face the palmer side of your hand. Also, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is the heavier of the two models.

In sizes, the Oura ring one-ups the Ultrahuman since it's available in sizes six to 13, which is two fewer than the Ultrahuman. The Oura ring sizes may differ slightly from US ring sizes, and they also don't offer half sizes. You can also go to your nearest Best Buy and buy it there, which makes it easier, so you don't have to wait for a sizing kit to come in the mail.

The weight and dimensions are 2.55mm, weighing around four to six grams, depending on your ring size. Due to its larger size, using the Oura Ring Gen 3 for activities such as weightlifting may be uncomfortable, as mentioned in Derrek Lee's Oura Ring Gen 3 review. However, it still manages to squeeze in a discreet design and makes quite a statement.

Ultrahuman Ring Air vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Sensors

One crucial factor when choosing a smart ring is the sensors. You might get one to track certain things, so specific sensors are necessary. For example, the Ultrahuman Ring Air has sensors such as Infrared PPG (Red, Green, and IR LEDs for HRM and SpO2), non-contact skin temperature, and 6-axis motion. It also uses optical sensors to monitor sleep and all their stages (i.e., REM or deep).

The Photoplethhysmogram (PPG) sensor will measure your heart rate and oxygen saturation. Still, in Michael Hick's review, he mentions how the Ultrahuman Ring Air never showed him oxygen levels under 99% or 100%. However, his smartwatch showed him that over the years, his average percentage would be between 96-98%. If this is essential for you, then this could be a reason not to get the smart ring. The smart ring does lack critical data such as VO2 max and respiratory rate. The Ultrahuman Ring is still getting beta features and making improvements in response to the criticism it gets. With temperature readings, the smart ring will give you a precise reading and measure while you're asleep and awake. 

The Oura Ring also has sensors for heart rate, sleep, activities, morning readiness, and blood oxygen. But Oura has a new Resilience metric you won't find in its competitor. This metric lets the ring assess your resilience in stressful situations. It'll track your daytime, overnight, and stress recovery trends during the day.

Regarding reading your temperature, the Oura ring shows a relative change compared to your baseline. So, to get an accurate reading, you need to wear the ring for at least a few days, and it only measures while you're sleeping. You'll also notice that when using the app, the Oura Ring says it's showing you the body temperature, while the Ultrahuman Ring app will say Skin temperature. Both rings can be worn on any finger, but the company advises you to wear them on the index finger for a more accurate reading.

Ultrahuman Ring Air vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Activity

Both rings detect activity such as skin temperature, sleep, and heart rate. Each smart ring has an app that allows you to get the readings you need. With the Oura Ring Gen 3 app, you can specify your activities, such as a hike and 20-minute spinning class, while the Ultrahuman Ring Air will count two activities as one. The Oura Ring Gen 3 features automatic activity detection, such as dancing or gardening, while the Ultrahuman Ring Air comes in manual and is still in beta. The rings also lack irregular heart rhythm (AFib) detection.

On the Ultrahuman Ring Air, tap the Movement screen to view your movement information, such as active hours, minutes, and calories burned. The apps for the two smart rings focus on two different things. For example, the Oura's focal point is recovery and rest. The app makes information such as your readiness score, activity goal, and sleep score easy to read. You can see tips on the best time to sleep and bedtime tips. The app will have sections such as Sleep, Readiness, and Activity.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air focuses more on stimulants and sleep. It advises when and when not to drink caffeine-containing beverages like coffee. You'll also see important information about your range. Oura's app has a better design and is easier to read. The information is in a more logical order than the Ultrahuman app.

One big difference between the two rings is that Oura has a $6 subscription attached to it. It's not required, per se, but you will need it if you want more detailed information about your metrics beyond your sleep score. This can be a deterrent for some, although it's worth keeping in mind that Oura is constantly improving its ring with new features.

Meanwhile, Ultrahuman does not require a subscription to view your data.

Ultrahuman Ring Air vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Price and availability

Both the Oura Ring Gen 3 and the Ultrahuman Ring Air are available to purchase now. The Oura smart ring is priced at $349 for the Horizon design and $299 for the Heritage version. The Ultrahuman Ring Air is priced at $349.

Both rings are eligible to be purchased through your FSA or HSA, which can make them easier to buy for some.

You can buy both rings from their respective websites or Amazon, while the Oura Ring is also available at Best Buy stores in the United States.

Ultrahuman Ring Air vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Which one goes on your finger?

Oura is a well-established brand that has been in the game for a long time. The app is also easier to understand and navigate, but after your free trial, you have to pay $5.99 a month. Oura's longer existence might incline people to try it despite the monthly subscription.

If you don't want to pay a monthly subscription, you'll be tempted to go with the Ultrahuman Ring Air. It's lighter, and its readings provide a lot of information. It's new to the smart ring area, and it's a brand that not many may have heard of, which may deter some. It still has things to learn from Oura, but it's still a very capable smart ring that will get better over time.

Tracking physical fitness has become much easier with new wearable tech popping up often (read Apple watches and fitness bands). Smaller wearable tech has gained momentum due to its compact size and ease of use, with smart rings leading that charge. Usually in the size of traditional rings, these gadgets, designed to track sleep and fitness, are rapidly gaining popularity.

With a plethora of wearables in the market, can passive smart rings compete with more active devices like smartwatches and fitness bands? Or is this just a passing trend that will eventually lead nowhere? According to analysts, smart rings have their place in the wearable market but may not be the smartwatch replacement many are looking for.

Rise of the smart ring

When you think of a smart ring, the first name that pops into your mind is Oura. This brand has not only carved out a niche in the smart ring market but also established itself as one of the leading players in this industry, selling over a million of these tiny wearables in over 98 countries. Users can track key indicators like heart rate, sleep stages, stress, and more to get a snapshot of their daily health and readiness. 

After launching two rings in 2016 and 2018, Oura began to gain traction in 2021 with the launch of the Oura Ring Gen 3 due to its improved tracking capabilities for metrics like temperature and blood oxygen sensing, features that were still up-and-coming on regular smartwatches. Oura also made strategic partnerships with entities such as the NBA, bringing the brand and its product to the limelight over other health-tracking devices and companies already diving into the smart ring market. However, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was the real catalyst for the ring’s popularity.

“That said, some of these practices were already in motion before the pandemic, and Oura was the last remaining brand amongst rings since Motiv got acquired,” Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's Worldwide Device Trackers, said in an interview. Motive was one such company that dove into health-tracking smart rings until it decided to shift its focus to biometrics, offering a different approach to the wearables with a different set of features.

However, Oura isn’t the only company that wants to explore how this small fitness tracker could replace bulky smartwatches someday. Samsung showed off its Galaxy Ring at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona earlier this year and is gearing up to launch the device later this year. Other brands, such as Ultrahuman, Evie, and even Amazfit, have all launched versions of smart rings, trying to cram multiple features into the device and blurring the lines between smartwatches and rings.

The smart ring's biggest rival

When it comes to comprehensive abilities, smartwatches can make calls, help you browse through notifications, look at photos, and even let you respond to texts, in addition to being a fitness tracker. However, that’s not the case for smart rings; despite having several health-tracking capabilities, they still fall short in some areas. Hanish Bhatia, associate director of Devices & Ecosystem at Counterpoint Research, feels that “smart rings are likely to coexist with smartwatches and not replace them.”

Ubrani agrees, noting that smart rings have become a convenient alternative, but cautions that they’re not for everyone. He warns that “the ring form factor certainly offers many benefits over a watch, but it’s not a home run as it often increases complexity when it comes to inventory management, finding the perfect fit for users, or tracking fitness goals in detail. As such, it won’t be a smartwatch replacement for everyone.” 

Fitness enthusiasts feel these rings track certain metrics more accurately than a smartwatch due to the fit. While wearing the Ultrahuman Ring, Michael Hicks, Android Central’s wearables editor, expressed how it’s much easier to wear a ring to sleep when compared to something that weighs more than 30g.

In a Reddit thread, a user explains how they choose between wearables based on the activity that needs tracking, noting that they don’t rely on Oura for fitness tracking but for its sleep monitoring. “I use my Apple Watch and Oura watch together. Like most people…Apple Watch for fitness and oura ring for sleep.”

Another says they chose the ring “because it’s a small device I can wear throughout the day and night without being bothered by its presence on my hands.”

Bhatia notes that while some of the smartwatch and smart ring features overlap, it might be detrimental to compare a smaller-sized wearable to that of a smartwatch. “I think they’re different products, especially when considering convenience and utility.”

Beyond fitness and sleep tracking

Smart rings hold great potential beyond basic fitness tracking because they fit several sensors into a small gadget and can give users a more holistic view of their overall fitness.

Oura is looking at advancing health-tracking sensors that translate day-to-day into actionable data and insights, “It’s about listening to your body’s signals to determine what it needs to maximize wellness,” explained Jason Russell, Oura’s VP of consumer software product. “In doing so, we hope to revolutionize how health is approached by shifting from reactive sick care to proactive, preventative, long-term wellness.”

The company also launched Oura labs, a new in-app experience for iOS users to test out new and upcoming features like the “Symptom Radar,”—which helps users understand how their bodies react to fatigue, high activity levels, and illness.

Analysts predict that these devices will soon gain even more functionality, such as being able to make contactless payments and connect with augmented reality. Early patents suggested Samsung launch a smart ring with not only health-tracking capabilities but also the ability to interact with and control other devices. 

IDC predicts that advancements in ring technology and lower prices will push more people to get them over the next four years. They forecast smart ring shipments to increase to approximately 3.25 million by 2028, more than triple the number of shipments in 2023, while their average selling price is expected to drop to $270 from the current ASP of roughly $290 as more companies enter the market.

“We see tremendous growth in this market, and eventually, the ring will go beyond just health tracking to become more interactive and potentially be used as an input device in XR or tied into the smart home as a presence sensor or on-body sensor that can adjust your surroundings based on your preferences,” Ubrani explains.

It’s also worth noting long-term benefits for consumers. Tech companies churn out new versions of their smartwatches yearly, each with a heftier price tag and more features often not accessible on older models. In contrast, smart rings seem to have a clear advantage when it comes to longevity.

Over the past three years, Oura’s Gen 3 smart ring has consistently received new features on the same device without needing a new model. This is something consumers could benefit from as companies like Samsung may extend the value of the device by bringing more features over a number of years before launching a new model.

The future for these smart rings looks promising, and according to Russell, three key trends are driving the evolution of the smart ring market: a focus on longevity-driven health management, the demand for personalized wellness solutions, and an increasing emphasis on mental health and holistic well-being.

"Individuals seek proactive strategies to optimize their health and lifespan. Oura is at the forefront of this movement by providing our members with accurate insights, empowering them to embrace healthy habits, and paving the way for a longer and healthier life," Russell added.

Samsung intends to take it a step further and leverage its hardware and software ecosystem with Galaxy AI, which would help with AI-based coaching to calculate health metrics and offer daily recommendations for the Galaxy Ring owners. We could also see smart rings from other companies, such as Apple, which may help drive smart ring adoption even further, especially if companies allow these devices to work regardless of the OS it's attached to.

For now, smart rings are being used as companions to other wearables. However, as advancements in smart ring technology progress and become more affordable in the future, there's a clear path for these discreet wearables to make their way onto more hands.

I hate wearing smartwatches for sleep tracking, which made the Ultrahuman Ring Air extremely tempting to review. To me, smartwatches are perfectly comfortable during the day but feel oppressive jammed between my sweaty wrist and pillow at night, and the health data becomes unreliable without the perfect fit. A petite smart ring with the same sensors was the solution I didn't know I needed.

Launched after a successful Kickstarter last year, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is thicker than your average, non-smart ring but skinnier and longer-lasting than competing smart ring brands. It's also fairly expensive upfront, but you'll save money in the long run due to the lack of a subscription.

Compared to the popular Oura Ring Gen 3 — which does charge a monthly fee for additional features and is heavier — the Ultrahuman Ring Air is a compelling alternative, but also a work in progress, still receiving beta features and app tweaks in response to customer criticism. It also has the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring and rumored Apple Ring to compete with, but those are still down-the-road products.

How you feel about the Ultrahuman Ring Air will depend on your feelings about smartwatches in general. Smart rings are more accurate in some cases but less accurate or feature-rich in others. A smart ring won't replace your current smartwatch; the question is whether you want or need one in addition to your watch.

Ultrahuman Ring Air: Models, price, and availability

The Ultrahuman Ring Air launched in September 2023, following the Ultrahuman Ring R1. It comes in four finishes — Aster Black, Matte Grey, Bionic Gold, and Space Silver — and ten ring sizes from 5–14. All ring models cost $349, and they are available on Amazon or the company website. 

Ultrahuman says its ring sizes "differ slightly from standard US ring sizes, and we don't offer half sizes," recommending that you use its own sizing kit before buying one. If you buy directly from Ultrahuman, you can have a sizing kit shipped for free before you choose a size; otherwise, you can buy the kit on Amazon first for $1. 

Buying directly from Ultrahuman also lets you add an engraving for $39, as well as a protection plan for damage or loss coverage for $2.50/month. Unlike the Oura Ring, there's no subscription to see all of your ring's health data. 

The Ring Air comes with a proprietary charger, on which you seat the ring to recharge it in a couple of hours, and a USB-C charging cable (but no charging block).

Ultrahuman Ring Air: Specs and data

Before diving into my likes and dislikes, let me run through what data the Ultrahuman Ring Air actually tracks for you — and what it doesn't track. 

Generally, its health sensors measure heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen, and skin temperature — all standard data for smartwatch owners. It also has a built-in accelerometer to track steps. 

Specifically, the Ultrahuman Ring Air focuses on sleep quality. If worn at night, the ring will send data to the Ultrahuman app like your total sleep time, your sleep stages (i.e., REM or deep), your lowest and average heart rates, how quickly your heart rate drops to proper resting levels, how your HRV and skin temperature compare to your baseline, how often you moved around at night, and your overall "restoration" and "efficiency."

Beyond that, you'll see a post-sleep Recovery Score, similar to what other fitness brands offer, along with a daily "Movement Index" at the top of the app that essentially tells you if you're getting enough steps and moving around with enough regularity. 

You can also see a heart rate graph for the day, a guide to when "stimulants" like coffee or excess light won't affect your sleep quality, your VO2 Max estimate, a timeline of key moments in the day like workouts, and whether you're hitting daily goals like getting enough sleep or activity. 

As for what you don't get? Aside from the lack of display, you won't find any haptics in this ring for vibrating notifications or alarms. It doesn't have any "Find My" tool if you misplace it. You won't see any data on irregular heart rhythm (AFib), nor an actual "Stress" metric beyond HRV. And there's no built-in GPS or gyroscope for tracking workouts. Aside from stress tracking, most smart rings lack these features, however.

Ultrahuman Ring Air: What you'll like

I've worn the Ultrahuman Ring Air for the past couple of weeks, and with each passing day, I'm less and less aware of its presence. 

At first, I wore it on my dominant hand's index finger, but I realized this was a mistake. It can get in the way of little things like scraping against a metal fork grip, pulling a game controller trigger, or when (ahem) duty calls. While it occasionally gets in the way on my left hand, it comes up much less often. 

Outside of those rare instances, I don't notice that I'm wearing the ring for hours at a time — and I'm not someone used to wearing jewelry. Considering I type words for a living, you'd think I'd be more aware of it, but its lightness and soft inner resin coating ensure otherwise.

As a side-sleeper, I appreciate how it doesn't press against my skin like a smartwatch does at night. In fact, because it's well-fitted, it seems to keep a tight seal around my entire finger, which keeps my nightly results consistent. For comparison, I'd find that a smartwatch would press too hard against (or separate from) my wrist, skewing the results. 

Of course, other people see it on my finger in day-to-day life. Its size makes it eye-catching, but the design itself is fairly spartan and uniform. It feels like you're wearing tech, not jewelry; that may or may not appeal to you. Personally, I find that it matches well with my Garmin Forerunner 965 for an athletic vibe, but others will find it too boring. 

When I tell people what it is, they inevitably ask if they can try it on. The typical response is surprise at how light it is, so I'm not alone in the feeling.

Ultrahuman sent me the Space Silver model, which makes a metallic impression but so far seems to withstand any scrapes or grime buildup over time. That said, I think only the Gold and Silver rings would do well in this area, while the Black and Grey rings are more subtle but might be more prone to showing wear and tear.

Packed with (seemingly accurate) data

As mentioned above, the Ultrahuman Ring Air comes packed with sleep data, primarily concerning your heart health and sleep quality. The main focus is on your resting heart rate, HRV for stress and recovery, sleep zones, restlessness, and skin temperature. 

I can only speak to my personal experience, but thus far, my sleep data seems to be quite accurate. It knows when I've failed to fall asleep, it continues to track without fail after early-morning bathroom visits, and its recovery score matches my tiredness level. 

Specifically, my resting heart rate (mid-50s, good for my age) and HRV (high 20s–low 30s, poor for my age) are comparable to my Garmin watch sleep data on the rare times I've made myself wear them overnight. Specific Ring Air spot-check readings can be erratic, but my averages are on point; I recommend focusing more on daily or weekly trends than individual readings. 

I'm not going to dive into my specific medical history, but Ultrahuman's data has given me some actionable data for a worrying health point that was easier to ignore when I skipped wearing a smartwatch at night. For me, that makes it worth the high initial price, as I can now monitor my trends as I work to resolve the issue.

No subscription required

While Oura and Fitbit demand a monthly fee before unlocking health reports and the most in-depth information on stress, daily readiness, and so on, Ultrahuman makes this data available for "free" after you've bought a ring. 

At any point, you can check your ring's "weekly insights" on everything from sleep and recovery to steps and average movement from a daily or hourly perspective. It's easy to ignore the need to move throughout the day instead of just all at once during a workout, but Ultrahuman points out your weak points there. 

I do wish there were separate weekly insight reports for different areas, as my current report seems more fixated on movement than on sleep and recovery. However, since most of the main page data focuses on sleep and recovery, it's not a major issue.

Reliable battery life

Ultrahuman estimates that the Ring Air lasts about 4–6 days per charge. In practice, I'd say 5 days is a pretty reasonable estimate in my experience, with the drain only increasing if you use the Workout mode to track heart rate more frequently. 

For comparison, the Oura Ring Gen 3 lasts 4–7 days, with our reviewer estimating six days in his tests, while other brands like RingConn have a similar estimate. You have to decide if the Oura Ring's slightly heavier weight is a fair trade-off for an extra day. 

In my opinion, the recharges are spread out enough that they don't bother me. Smart rings aren't as essential as a smartwatch in terms of notifications, so I don't notice the absence as much. I worry about what'll happen after a year or two when the battery capacity wears down, but that's a concern for any smart ring.

Truly, my only complaint is Ultrahuman's really annoying low-battery notifications, which I'll discuss later on.

Ultrahuman Ring Air: What needs work

Ultrahuman CEO Mohit Kumar is active on the company's subreddit, responding to users' complaints and feedback. In one instance, he responded to a Reddit complaint about fitness accuracy, noting that the Ultrahuman Ring Air is "optimised for HR and HRV at rest," but that "HR during motion is a work in progress" and to check if the new firmware update provided better results. 

I think it's fair to say that, in some ways, using the Ultrahuman Ring Air is like being an Early Access gamer on Steam. You're getting an in-progress experience with regular updates and new features, but some are implemented better than others or tinkered with from one day to the next. 

Specific to fitness tracking, smart rings are meant to be fitted closely to your finger at rest, but during workouts, your fingers will swell from increased blood flow, which can in turn skew your results. Ultrahuman's algorithm is meant to combat that, but it'll depend on how well your ring fits. 

I noticed early on during a jog that my Garmin Forerunner 165 showed my heart rate at 140 bpm and the Ultrahuman Ring Air had me clocked in the mid-180s. My final averages were pretty close to those numbers, unacceptably far apart. 

For my second run, I swapped my Ring Air to my smaller left index finger to see if it made a difference, and it did! This time, my averages were 144 bpm for Garmin and 153 bpm for Ultrahuman — still off, but less unreasonably so. The same applies to the estimated caloric burn (410 vs. 470). My hope is that Ultrahuman can continue to improve this algorithm over time. 

Because my heart rate workout data is off, Ultrahuman's VO2 Max estimate for me (44) is pretty far off from my Garmin VO2 Max estimate (51). It'll improve with more running data to offset that terrible first impression, but my main point here is that I wouldn't use this smart ring — or any smart ring, really — as a primary source for workout data. It's not designed for it.

I also find that the Ring Air is more prone to false steps from tapping keys or my hand bouncing on my knee than a fitness watch is: I'll get hundreds of steps and a high movement score while working at my desk. Once out for actual walks, it seems to slightly undercount my steps, which usually balances out the earlier false steps. 

For comparison, my Garmin Forerunner 165 — which beat other fitness brands in a step-tracking and HR accuracy test — measured 17,446 steps after nine miles of walking and running, while my Ultrahuman Ring Air hit 18,058 steps. Most of the discrepancy comes from those initial false steps, but you still get a decent sense of how active you were that day. 

I only have one "beta" data point that I'm truly suspicious of: the Ultrahuman Ring Air measures blood oxygen levels overnight, but it's never shown me under 99% and typically shows me at 100%. I'd love for this to be true, but across most of my smartwatch SpO2 tests over the years, I'm typically somewhere between 96–98%. Since Ultrahuman doesn't show an SpO2 graph like it does for heart rates, I don't think I can trust this data.

Hard to find the app data you want

Ultrahuman's app needs work. All of the most useful data is crammed into submenus on the main tab, and it's not always clear where to find specific data.

For example, you'll find how your resting heart rate and HRV scores compare to people your age under VO2 Max, which isn't very intuitive. Your nightly HR and HRV data are under Sleep Index, but your weekly HRV range is found in the Recovery Score widget. 

I also don't like how certain graphs default to the last reading it took rather than the daily average. You'll have to tap away from "Today" to "Daily" to see a more relevant average instead of a recent spot-check. 

All of this data is clumped within the main Home tab. The Ultrahuman app has tabs for Metabolism — which you can only access with its Ultrahuman M1 glucose monitor — a Zones tab for socializing with other ring wearers, and a Discover tab for workouts like yoga and pilates, meditations, bedtime stories, and the Ultrahuman podcast. There's also a fifth profile tab for changing your settings and checking your weekly insight reports. 

Personally, I'm not sure I'd want friends to see how badly I slept — even if they did have Ultrahuman rings, and the Metabolism tab feels like I'm being upsold to buy their monitor. I'd prefer to have customizable tab options if I want to pull up specific information with a single tap instead of scrolling through and tapping the right widgets. 

You can have your data exported to Google Fit, Apple Health, Garmin Connect, Fitbit, Polar, Suunto, Wahoo, MyFitnessPal, and a few other fitness apps if you prefer. 

Nagging notifications

Unlike smartwatches, smart rings can only communicate through phone notifications. In some ways, this is nice: vibrating watch notifications get tiresome. But in other ways, Ultrahuman needs to chill out.

It sends several daily notifications about when to enjoy or abstain from "stimulants" like coffee to ensure your sleep isn't disrupted. Thankfully I could disable these in the app settings, since I don't drink coffee. You also get regular reminders on when to avoid bright screens for your circadian rhythm — advice I'm not especially good at following, but I appreciate. 

Add in post-sleep summary notifications, movement alerts, praise for moving enough, shout-outs for hitting specific goals, and so on, Ultrahuman has become the most common notification on my smartphone. It's a bit much!

The absolute breaking point, though, is when my smart ring falls below 30% battery. At that point, Ultrahuman will buzz me every few hours warning me to recharge, and that's not an exaggeration. Since that's enough battery for nearly two days of use, that means two days of pestering! I don't get the urgency and wish Ultrahuman would only bother me at specific increments (aka 20%, 10%, and 5%).

I know full well that stand alerts are important for bodily health, but in other respects I wish the smart ring were more of a silent companion I could check on at my convenience. 

Ultrahuman Ring Air: Competition

Android Central is new to reviewing smart rings, and the category itself is nascent. We've yet to test other relatively popular brands like RingConn and Circular, and other relatively well-known fitness brands like Amazfit and Noise are entering the ring (pun intended) soon. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Ring should be a major rival to all the current brands later this year. But this early in the game, it's hard to say which, if any, is the "best" without further testing. 

While I hate wearing wrist-based wearables to bed, anyone without that particular hang-up might have better luck with a reliable fitness tracker like the Fitbit Charge 6. It costs half as much as the Ultrahuman Ring Air, has the same tracked data, gives you notifications and Google apps, and is relatively lightweight — though still 10X as heavy as a smart ring. 

Ultrahuman Ring Air: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want a comfortable wearable for tracking your heart health and sleep quality. 
• You want a smart ring that's long-lasting and light enough that you forget it's there.
• Your current smartwatch is too bulky for sleep tracking.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You're already happily wearing your smartwatch to bed with no issues.
• You need a primary wearable tracker for fitness data like GPS. 
• You want to hold out for a smart ring from another brand, like Samsung.

Smart rings are the next big category, and everyone is scrambling to push out their first model to compete with the Galaxy Ring and the rumored (but likely) Apple Ring. What's not clear is how excited tech fans and non-tech fans will be for a smart ring.

Tech-loving folks who sleep with a smartwatch might be tempted to switch to a smart ring, but only if it's within their own ecosystem, so the data syncs with their current watch data. In the meantime, Ultrahuman does its best to offer a well-rounded app experience and may sync with your favorite app.

For non-tech fans frustrated with short-lived Apple Watches and faulty Fitbits, the Ultrahuman Ring Air might appeal to them the same way a hybrid watch would, with a subtle design and a decently long-lived battery. That said, the Ring Air's design is more functional than stylish in my mind.

I quite like my Ultrahuman Ring Air for its form factor and the bevy of health information it provides, but it has a long way to go before I see it as a fitness device. But since I already have Garmin for that, I don't necessarily mind that its purpose is so niche.

A smart ring can't replace a smartwatch. It can't fit all the sensors, haptics, and other components needed for apps, notifications, and calling. Aside from that, I'm skeptical that a smart ring can match a watch for step count or workout data. But sleep tracking? I can't see anyone continuing to wear a smartwatch after trying their first smart ring. 

I've been testing the Ultrahuman Ring Air for a little over a week, and I quite like its sleep-tracking features thus far. However, my new belief isn't about one brand in particular; it could easily apply to the Oura Ring Gen 3 that a couple of my colleagues love or the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring. What matters is the form factor. 

My Ultrahuman Ring Air weighs about 3g/0.1oz, while Oura's ring measures between 4g and 6g, depending on your ring size. The upcoming Galaxy Ring apparently weighs between 2.3 and 2.9g, taking the lightweight crown. 

With wrist-based wearables, even something pebble-sized like the Fitbit Charge 6 weighs 30g/1oz — mainly because of the strap. Switch to a proper smartwatch, and it'll weigh two or three times that, especially when you add stainless steel or titanium material. 

During the day, I can ignore the weight and feel of a smartwatch on my skin. But as night approaches, its presence feels more oppressive, as if I'm going to bed wearing my day clothes. 

I know I'm in the minority — Android Central did a poll in 2022 showing that 67% of readers "usually" wear a smartwatch to bed, compared to 21% who "never" do — but for me, the worst part of every smartwatch review is that I need to test their sleep tracking capabilities to judge their value for most people.

Because of that, I miss out on all the great features and health data that fitness watches offer. My daily watch is the Garmin Forerunner 965, but I don't see proper Body Battery data (my sleep energy recharge) or HRV status (stress and workout recovery levels) because I don't wear it to bed.

It's not just about comfort, either. For the best results, your smartwatch band needs to be perfectly fitted. If it's too tight, it disrupts blood flow and messes with the actual results for heart rate and blood oxygen. If it's too loose, you get erratic readings because not every pulse is picked up. Even if worn correctly at first, all it takes is your pillow or body weight shifting your smartwatch in the wrong direction, and suddenly, your data will be off for hours at a time.

Case in point, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 proved accurate enough for heart rate data during the day but gave me some very misleading data for blood oxygen and skin temperature during my review. 

With my Ultrahuman Ring Air, it truly feels like it blends into my skin. My usual issues with tactile hypersensitivity—or whatever the official psychological term is—don't apply anymore.

Now, when I wake up, I can see my sleep duration, time in each sleep zone, average and resting heart rate, skin temperature, heart rate variability, heart rate drop time, blood oxygen average, restlessness, and most of the other core data I need. The exception is atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection, which I don't think any smart ring brand offers yet. 

Of course, you can still get inaccurate readings if you choose a smart ring that's too tight or loose. But since you can buy them in most ring sizes, that's rarely an issue. 

Once you've got a smart ring that's properly fitted, even if it presses hard against your pillow or mattress while you sleep, it still adheres to your skin along most of your finger — much better than a smartwatch would. The exception is during workouts, when your fingers naturally swell from the increased blood flow, which seems to mess with your heart rate results.  

Now that I'm wearing a smart ring, I find it much harder to justify going to bed late or having a can of High Noon, knowing that little chunk of metal will warn me about my poor sleep recharge or decreased HRV the next day. I hope it'll help me establish better habits over the long run.

If you're already happy with your smartwatch, then you can save yourself the $300 cost of a typical smart ring and enjoy the sleep-tracking features. I'm happy for you!

For those in the minority, like myself, who just can't stand the weight, the sweat and grime build-up, the swelling of their wrists, and the overall awareness of something pressing hard into their skin all night, a smart ring is your solution. You'll get the health and energy data you've been missing without any discomfort. 

The downside to smart rings is what I said at the beginning: They're not meant to replace your Android watch or Apple Watch for app smarts, nor your fitness watch for metrics and GPS. But if you're the kind of techie who can afford to add smart rings to your category of devices, then I highly recommend it.