Wearable technology has come a long way over the past decade, with modern smartwatches now so slim that earlier models look like bulky ankle monitors. But smartwatches with bright screens and notification sounds still aren't all that flashy.
That's where smart rings come in. Smart rings have been a niche phenomenon for years, but with Samsung releasing the Galaxy Ring this year and Apple reportedly toying with the idea of its own smart ring, it looks like the concept is finally heading into the mainstream.
What is a smart ring? What can it do for your smart home? Read on to find out more.
What is a Smart Ring?
(Image courtesy of Oura)
A smart ring is a new type of jewellery that adds technology to a traditional ring: it is made to your size and worn on your finger like a traditional ring, but beneath its surface it contains an array of sensors that transmit information to your phone, usually using Bluetooth technology.
Sensors and features vary by manufacturer, but typically include a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to check changes in heart rate and blood volume, as well as an accelerometer and gyroscope to track movement.
Other more advanced smart rings may include peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) sensors to measure blood oxygenation, electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors to track stress, temperature sensors, and more.
What can a smart ring do?
These sensors, combined with connectivity, allow it to offer many of the same features as the best fitness trackers.
The sensors primarily provide insights into your health and movement, offering solid insights into your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, and estimating your activity levels in terms of steps, distance and calories burned.
In addition to passively tracking your body measurements, the smart ring also has the ability to put some of your phone's controls right at your fingertips. With an NFC chip, the smart ring allows you to make contactless payments without having to take out your credit card. It also allows you to remotely control your phone's music playback. If your phone is on silent mode, the smart ring can also gently vibrate to alert you to incoming calls and messages.
What advantages does it offer over other wearables?
You might be wondering why anyone would choose a smart ring over an Apple Watch when it offers almost the same features as other wearables. It mainly comes down to two reasons: discreetness and battery life.
In fact, the two are related: smart rings are much more discreet than smartwatches because they're small, light, discreet, and don't have a big glowing screen that lights up every time you receive a text message.
A wearable's screen, and the power needed to light it up, especially an always-on display, is one of the biggest drains on a smartwatch's battery. Because there's no screen to power it, smart rings tend to last about a week on a single charge, despite having a much smaller battery.
Of course, this has its downsides: There's no screen, so you have to use the included app to view the data logged by the smart ring, and without a clear visual notification to warn you that the battery is about to run out, it can be a bit difficult to remember to keep the ring charged.
Oura Ring Gen3 Heritage – Silver – Size 8 – Smart Ring – Size First with Oura Sizing Kit – Sleep Tracking Wearable – Heart Rate – Fitness Tracker – 5-7 Day Battery Life
Ringconn smart ring with no app subscription required
How will smart rings change the smart home?
For now, smart rings like the Oura Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air focus more on health metrics than smart home features, but the potential is there, and the first smart rings aimed at home control are expected to arrive later this year.
Announced at CES 2024, the Lotus Ring is a smart ring designed to make it easier to control your home. When paired with a snap-on switch cover, it uses infrared signals to control anything you'd operate through an existing switch with point-and-click gestures — think lights, fans, and more.
This is primarily aimed at people with limited mobility and isn't exactly smart home friendly (as mentioned above, you need to connect an infrared switch cover to an existing switch), but it does point the way to future considerations from manufacturers.
Samsung, with its existing smart home tech, could be well placed to capitalize on this opportunity. The company's next Galaxy Ring doesn't yet have a full feature list, but there's been talk of possible SmartThings integration. CNET reports that “the company says this could include the ability to control connected lighting based on your sleep needs and set medication alerts.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the smart ring's overall smart home potential: With Bluetooth built in, manufacturers can build the smart ring as a transmitter to notify your smart home devices when you're in range. This could mean anything from smart lights turning on when you enter a room to smart locks magically unlocking or locking as you approach or move away.
For now, this is all mostly theory, but if smart rings become as popular this year as many expect, it wouldn't be surprising if manufacturers start seriously considering their potential for the smart home.
Today's best Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) deals