Oura just showed off its latest smart ring, and it looks like the gap between smart rings and smartwatches is getting smaller.
The new model, called the Oura Ring 5, is 40% smaller than the last version. But even with that smaller build, it can still track over 50 different health markers. The company’s CEO, Tom Hale, told Bloomberg that the device sits somewhere between a high-end smartwatch and a cheaper one.
The most interesting new feature is blood pressure tracking. The ring watches your blood pressure and how you breathe. If something looks off, the Oura app will suggest you talk to a doctor. You can find all that information inside a section of the app called Health Radar.
This focus on health comes after some users lost trust in the company. People were selling their old Oura rings because they were worried about who Oura was partnering with. Now, with the Ring 5, Oura is adding better privacy controls. That means you get to decide what health data the company can see.
It is fair to say this ring might be better than a lot of budget Android smartwatches. But that depends on how accurate its health tracking really is.
The Oura Ring 5 is getting closer to smartwatches in three key areas. It is more discreet, it does more things, and its price is similar. Because the ring is so much smaller than earlier models, it is easy to wear all day. If you work with your hands, a watch can sometimes be annoying, but a ring stays out of the way.
Of course, picking a ring over a watch is mostly about what you prefer to wear. But the real reason someone might choose a smart ring is the mix of features and cost. The Oura Ring 5 costs $399(~Php24,500), plus a $69.99(~Php4,300) yearly fee to unlock advanced features.