Two new smart rings offer AFib detection for $380, or gold for $1,900

Oura remains the king of the smart ring business – at least until Apple enters the arena – but two competitors are trying very different approaches in launching their own models.

French branch Circular hasn’t made much progress to date, thanks to a plastic construction and an absence of wireless charging, but it has fixed both issues in its latest model …

Oura remains king

Oura invented the smart ring, and is the undisputed market leader with around a 49% market share, leaving its competitors to scrabble for single digits.

It is now on its fourth generation, and its app has received as big a boost as the latest hardware. Indeed, its app is so good, it overcame my normal dislike of subscription business models.

But other companies are doing their best to compete.

Circular is trying a reboot, with AFib detection

One of the Apple Watch’s claims to fame is early detection of signs of AFib, or atrial fibrillation – a serious heart condition which can prove fatal. This is one of several ways in which Apple’s smartwatch has been credited with saving lives. These links are just a handful of examples:

• Florida man who had ‘no idea what AFib was’ saved by Apple Watch during holiday travel
• Alabama woman says ‘no doubt’ Apple Watch atrial fibrillation detection saved her life
• Apple Watch user discovers A-fib heart issue with new ECG app, ‘this probably saved you,’ says doctor
• Apple Watch proves to be a lifesaver for 70-year-old Arizona woman

Detecting AFib using a smart ring is a tougher proposition, but one which Circular has solved, as TNW reports.

Circular has swapped the plastic shell in the old ring for titanium which is available in four finishes: black, silver, gold, and rose gold. The ring’s sensors have been given a complete overhaul, resulting in more accurate readings, the company said. 

Circular has also scrapped the USB charger for a wireless charging dock. The Ring 2’s battery life lasts up to an impressive eight days, one more day than the Oura Ring.

However, the main innovation — a first for smart rings — is the addition of an FDA-cleared atrial fibrillation (AFib) sensor that reads the electrical activity of your heart, including the rate and rhythm. 

The Circular Ring 2 will begin crowdfunded later this month, and is expected to ship in March. Pricing will start at $380.

Ultrahuman Rare: $1,900 or $2,200

Ultrahuman is taking a rather … different approach with its new Rare models. The Verge reports:

The desert rose and dune rings are made of 18-karat gold “sourced from London Bullion Market Association.” These will cost $1,900. Meanwhile, the desert snow ring is “meticulously crafted from pt950 platinum, a metal of exceptional purity and prestige.” It will cost $2,200.

As the site’s Victoria Song observes, this is the approach Apple attempted and had to abandon with the original model of the Apple Watch Edition: charging a huge premium for a precious metal on a device which will have a life of just a year or three before it is superseded.

Availability is honestly, who cares.

Image: Ultrahuman