College athletes are getting in on the popular worlds of wearable technology, artificial intelligence and crypto. 

Cudis, makers of an AI-powered smart ring that allows users to control their own health data and earn rewards for physical activity, has signed a one-year partnership with UCLA Athletics.

With the partnership, Cudis will get its rings into the hands of UCLA athletes and other students through campaigns including in-game promotions. Cudis will also pursue name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with UCLA athletes in sports including football, women’s gymnastics, and men’s and women’s basketball, tennis and golf. 

“This collaboration holds special meaning for us as we give back to the community that helped launch our vision,” said Edison Chen, the CEO of Cudis and a UCLA graduate. “By empowering UCLA’s student-athletes with our innovative tech, we’re not just improving their performance and health, we’re introducing them to the transformative power of blockchain and crypto, rewarding healthy habits along the way.”

Launched earlier this year, Cudis rings are built on the Solana blockchain platform and are powered by AI and Web 3 tech. Similar to popular smart rings from Oura and Samsung, Cudis rings track health metrics such as heart rate, sleep, stress and calories burned. Cudis also offers an “AI Coach” feature that provides personalized health insights.

The company has sold over 10,000 units since its rings first went on sale in April, and its online community has around 100,000 members. In September, Cudis raised $5 million in a seed funding round led by Draper Associates. 

Can the Blockchain Revolutionize Wearables?

Cudis’ partnership with UCLA comes as demand grows for fitness and wellness wearables, especially among young consumers. The company cited data that 35% of Gen Z consumers use wearables daily to track their health. 

Among wearables, the smart ring market in particular is heating up, with market leader Oura just raising $200 million at a $5.2 billion valuation and tech giant Samsung recently launching the Galaxy Smart Smart Ring.

According to Chen, two things separate Cudis from brands like Oura and Samsung: a reward system that encourages physical activity and the blockchain, which allows Cudis to safeguard its users’ health data. 

On the rewards front, Cudis users can earn points for engaging in healthy habits and actions, which are tracked by the ring and redeemable for exclusive rewards, including cryptocurrency airdrops. 

Cudis also uses cryptographic signatures, IPFS storage and blockchain verification to safeguard users’ health data. The company says this gives users “complete ownership” of their data.

Data as Currency

Chen argues that Cudis users benefit from a higher level of data privacy than they’d get with wearables like Oura, Whoop or the Apple Watch (these brands have data-privacy policies, although they don’t use blockchain verification). 

“Once you put the data on the chain, your data becomes your asset,” Chen told ATN. “This is the first time that users can actually own their health data as an asset. Whoever wants to use your data needs your approval – even us.”

In time, Chen says Cudis users will be able to monetize their own health data, including potentially selling their data to companies who may want to purchase it for research or marketing purposes. 

“Our data can actually be worth up to $5,000 every year,” Chen believes. 

Big Ambitions

Earlier this month, Cudis launched its second generation smart ring model, the Cudis 002 ($349), which offers up to 10 days of battery life, five meters of Bluetooth connectivity and is waterproof up to a depth of 50 meters. 

Cudis aims to sell one million smart rings and grow its online community to at least 5 million members in the years ahead, Chen told ATN. 

However, he’s quick to point out that the brand’s long-term mission goes beyond sales targets. 

“We want people to realize how important and how valuable their data is,” Chen said. “We want people to know your wellness data is an asset just like your house. If you can rent your house to get paid, you can do the same thing with your data.”

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Oura is going all-in on quality as it gears up to fight off competition from the likes of Samsung in the red-hot smart ring space. 

On Thursday, the Finnish brand unveiled the Oura Ring 4, which features new and improved sensors designed to offer more accurate readings, longer battery life, and increased comfort for wearers. 

The Oura Ring 4 is highlighted by Smart Sensing, with research-grade sensors housed inside the ring that adapt to the finger to deliver more accurate data for metrics including blood oxygen sensing, breathing, and heart rate. 

Thanks to Smart Sensing, Oura says the newest version of its ring offers notable improvements in overnight blood oxygen measurements (SpO2), breathing disturbance index (BDI), and daytime and nighttime heart-rate tracking. 

The smart sensors are recessed within the Oura Ring 4, which Oura says provides a more comfortable wear. In the Oura Ring Gen3, the previous model, the sensors were housed in a raised dome, meaning many users could feel the sensors while wearing the ring. 

Available for preorder now and set to start shipping October 15, the Oura Ring 4 will retail for between $349 and $499 depending on color and will offer up to eight days of battery life. 

Oura is also redesigning its app to provide users with a more streamlined overview of their overall health picture, including easy access to daily and long-term health metrics like stress and resilience, women’s health, and heart health.

“Oura Ring is designed to be a personal health companion, giving our members a holistic view of their health by pairing personal data with meaningful, actionable insights to facilitate long-term changes,” said Oura CEO Tom Hale. “The next-generation Oura Ring 4, reimagined Oura App, and the development of the Smart Sensing platform represent significant steps forward for wearables across accuracy, comfort, personalization, and design.”

Can Oura Stay on Top?

Oura, which has sold over 2.5 million rings worldwide and is nearing $500 million in annual revenue, has dominated the smart ring market since the brand was founded in 2013.

However, the space has become more crowded as of late, with new brands entering the market as demand rises for smart rings, which track a host of metrics including heart-rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen rate, body temperature, and sleep, and offer a lower profile than smartwatches. 

Samsung made headlines earlier this year when it launched its Galaxy Ring, packing it with features that make it a serious competitor to the Oura Ring. There are rumors that Apple could enter the smart ring space as early as 2025, although that’s still highly speculative. 

With the Oura Ring 4, the Finnish tech company appears to be leaning into its reputation as the “OG” in the smart ring space. With Smart Sensing, Oura wants to make it known that its rings provide the best and most accurate data on the market as users look to track their sleep, steps, and stress more than ever before. 

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Oura has hired former Apple executive Miklu Silvanto as its new chief design officer, adding another former Apple executive as the Finnish smart ring maker looks to fight off competition from new entrants in the health and fitness wearables space.

Silvanto spent nearly a decade at Apple, working under legendary designer Jony Ive. During his tenure, Silvanto played a crucial role in shaping the design of several generations of MacBooks, the iPad Pro family, the Apple Pencil and other products.

At Oura, Silvanto will lead software and industrial design teams, overseeing the smart ring maker’s end-to-end member experience and the visual design of Oura’s hardware and software products.

“Oura has built a truly unique experience in a revolutionary form factor,” Silvanto told Athletech News. “We will continue to pioneer this space. The goal is to build infrastructure and ways of working and be in a state where great art is inevitable through focus, discipline, creativity, and care. My job is to make sure that the specifics of the design are excellent and also ensure that we spend enough time deeply considering the fundamentals of interaction.”

After Apple, Silvanto worked as chief design officer at both Airbnb and audio company Bang & Olufsen, where he successfully built and led those brands’ first internal design teams. Silvanto has also founded several companies, including Aivan, Vaarnii, and Elo Health. 

Silvanto grew up in a family of healthcare professionals, which influenced his interest in the health and fitness wearables space.

“Both of my parents are doctors, and I grew up curious and skeptical of a system where the goal isn’t optimizing for health, but rather the most efficient cure when sickness arrives,” Silvanto told ATN. “My whole career has included working on well-being and health. I believe Oura Ring will continue to pioneer the future of the category and will help to shift the healthcare paradigm from sick care to empowering health.”

Oura is the most exciting company in this space,” he added. “Capabilities such as Cardiovascular Age are simply game-changing. To have key health metrics measured in years, yet impacted in weeks through your choices is remarkable.”

Notably, Silvanto is Finnish-American, which could prove beneficial in helping Finnish brand Oura expand its market presence.

“I believe I can help bridge Oura’s roots with the audience Oura Ring has found in other markets, uniquely combining these different cultures and values,” he said.

Silvanto’s hiring comes after Oura hired another former Apple executive, Jason Oberfest, as its vice president of healthcare, last November.

Oura is currently the market leader in the smart ring space, but it’s gearing up for competition from Samsung, which launched its Galaxy Smart Ring last month. Oura and the South Korean tech giant are already embroiled in litigation over potential intellectual property disputes.

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Samsung officially launched its highly anticipated smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, positioning the South Korean tech giant to compete with Oura, the biggest player in the smart ring space.

The Galaxy Ring integrates its data and insights into Samsung Health, which utilizes Galaxy AI. For sleep analysis, the ring leverages snoring, sleep movement, sleep latency, and heart and respiratory rate data to assess sleep quality. Cycle Tracking also allows female users to better track their menstrual cycle through overnight skin temperature monitoring. 

Holistic insights and motivational encouragement are provided by Samsung Health through data from the Galaxy Ring. Starting with Galaxy AI, which generates a detailed report on various health metrics, the ring helps users take daily steps to improve their physical condition.

Wellness Tips provide users with personalized messages based on their real-time health needs. The Energy Score feature demonstrates how to leverage daily habits to improve one’s readiness.  

Galaxy Ring also supports broader heart health analyses through its Heart Rate Alert, which provides instant notifications regarding unusually high or low heart rates in real-time. Users can access heart rate information, including beats per minute, time start, and time duration with Live Heart Rate Check.

Galaxy Ring also provides automatic walking and running tracking via Auto Workout Detection, and daily fitness reminders with Inactive Alert. 

“The latest additions to our wearables portfolio integrate Samsung’s most advanced technologies and innovations, enabling you to take control of your health and wellness with preventative healthcare solutions,” said TM Roh, president and head of mobile experience business at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung’s smart ring will be sold for $399.99, which splits the difference between Oura’s $299.99 Heritage ring and the Finnish brand’s $499.99 Horizon ring.

At 7mm wide and 2.6mm thick and between 2.3 grams and 3 grams, Samsung’s ring is slightly lighter than the 4 to 6-gram Oura rings. Unlike Oura, the Galaxy ring doesn’t require a subscription, which could be enticing for consumers wary of additional charges.

Samsung seems committed to securing a place in the smart ring market despite Oura’s entrenched position.

Samsung, Oura Compete in the Courtroom

Earlier this year, Samsung filed a preemptive lawsuit against Oura to prevent potential intellectual property disputes before the Galaxy Ring’s launch. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, asserted that the Galaxy Ring doesn’t infringe on any of Oura’s patents.

The lawsuit notably highlighted Oura’s media tour following Samsung’s initial announcement of the Galaxy Ring, where the Finnish company emphasized its “over 150 patents.” Samsung also noted that Oura CEO Tom Hale stated, in an interview with CNBC, that it was “very important for us to protect the innovations that we’ve brought to market,” and that “we’ll see whether or not it ( the Galaxy Ring) infringes on (Oura’s technology). And frankly, we’ll take the action that’s appropriate.”

According to industry estimates, the smart ring market could grow to $1 billion or more by the 2030s. Smart rings offer a less intrusive and comfortable way to track health data. While Oura has already carved out a sizeable market, Samsung could make smart rings more mainstream, particularly for Android users.

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Oura and Circular, a French smart ring brand, entered into a settlement agreement to conclude patent litigation in a Texas federal court and the International Trade Commission.

As part of the settlement, Oura has dismissed its claims against Circular for patent infringement and granted Circular a multi-year license to allow the French brand to continue selling its smart rings and accompanying app in exchange for royalty payments.

Financial details of the arrangement weren’t disclosed. 

“Innovation is core to our culture and long-term strategy,” said Tom Hale, CEO of Oura. “The licensing agreement with Circular validates the strength of Oura’s patents and is only possible because of the significant investment Oura has made in research and development.”

“This agreement is a meaningful outcome for our investors, as well as our scientists, developers, and product teams, and all of those at Oura who innovate every day to ensure that Oura Ring provides accurate, actionable insights for our Members,” Hale added.

In March, Hale announced that the company had filed a complaint with the ITC, alleging that Circular along with smart ring brands Ultrahuman, and RingConn infringed multiple Oura patents.

“Unfortunately, when we see companies take shortcuts that imitate and ride the coattails of our innovation, we have no choice but to take action,” Hale had said. 

The complaints against Circular related to the Oura Ring’s form factor and its Readiness Score, a proprietary algorithm the Finnish company developed to provide ring wearers with insights about their physical and mental stress factors.

Oura is no stranger to lawsuits; early this month, Samsung sued the smart ring company to preemptively block any smart ring patent claims. Samsung asked a court to find that the Galaxy Ring doesn’t infringe upon five Oura patents. In the lawsuit, Samsung alleged that Oura has a pattern of aggressive IP protection.

The Galaxy Ring is expected to launch in August 2024

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Tech giant Samsung has filed a preemptive lawsuit against Oura in a strategic attempt to prevent any potential intellectual property disputes before the launch of its highly anticipated Galaxy Ring.

The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California aims to ward off potential litigation from Oura, which is known for aggressive IP enforcement. 

Samsung’s suit alleges that Oura’s actions and public statements indicate an intention to challenge any new entrants into the U.S. smart ring market, including Samsung.

“Oura’s immediate response to the announcement of the Galaxy Ring was to point to the purported strength of its intellectual property portfolio,” the lawsuit states.

Samsung asserts that its Galaxy Ring does not infringe on any of Oura’s patents, and the filing outlines what it characterizes as Oura’s pattern of aggressive IP protection, noting that the company has previously sued like Ultrahuman, Circular, and RingConn upon their entries in the U.S. market. 

The lawsuit highlights Oura’s media tour following the Galaxy Ring announcement, where the company emphasized its “over 150 patents.” It also noted that Oura CEO Tom Hale stated, in an interview with CNBC, that it was “very important for us to protect the innovations that we’ve brought to market,” and that “we’ll see whether or not it ( the Galaxy Ring) infringes on (Oura’s technology). And frankly, we’ll take the action that’s appropriate.” 

Samsung has a history of patent disputes with Apple, where it challenged the validity of some of Apple’s patents, deeming them obvious or industry-standard. The legal disputes, which took place over the course of nearly seven years, ultimately resulted in a 2018 settlement between the two companies. 

The Samsung lawsuit against Oura also sheds light on the South Korean tech giant’s launch plans for the Galaxy Ring. According to the legal documentation, Samsung finalized the Galaxy Ring’s design in mid-May 2024 and plans to begin mass production in mid-June. The Galaxy Ring is expected to hit the U.S. market around August 2024. 

Oura has yet to publicly respond to Samsung’s lawsuit. If Samsung succeeds, it could reshape the competitive landscape of the smart ring industry, particularly in increasingly saturated markets like fitness wearables. 

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Ultrahuman, a wearable tech company with products such as a habit-tracking ring, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and an upcoming home health device, has secured $35 million in a Series B equity and debt funding round to fuel growth and support advanced research in the health monitoring space. 

Emerging technology is making it easier than ever for consumers to take proactive health measures as metabolic health takes center stage, especially with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearing the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor (CGM) this month.

Ultrahuman, which has expanded into over 150 retail outlets worldwide, says it’s on track to exceed $100 million in annualized revenue run rate by the end of the year — and things are just heating up.

The Bangalore, India-based wearable tech brand plans to expand UltraFactory, its manufacturing facility, to ramp up production of its health-supporting devices.

“Our ability to make long-term manufacturing investments, supported by our profitability, is unique in the smart rings market,” said Mohit Kumar, co-founder of Ultrahuman. He launched the company in 2020 alongside co-founder Vatsal Singhal after being inspired by seeing MMA athletes using data to train and recover.

The Series B round marks a pivotal step forward to dominate the smart rings space, Kumar said, adding that Ultrahuman has the goal of becoming the market leader, with the retail expansion having helped the tech brand reach new audiences.  

“Our vision of being the top player in terms of both active devices and geographic presence is within reach, thanks to our rapid expansion and the love we’ve received from our users,” Kumar continued.

The funding round included participation from VC firms Blume Ventures, Steadview Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Alpha Wave and Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal.

Multi-Device Health

The wearable tech market may be crowded, but the centerpiece of Ultrahuman (and what sets it apart from competitors) is its multi-device health ecosystem — one in which the company says can create a “grand unified view of the human body” by gathering a large set of biomarkers on its integrated platform. It’s a differentiating factor that expands Ultrahuman past the pure smart ring space.

“The future of health is integrated, and at Ultrahuman, we’re making that future a reality today by seamlessly combining various health data streams to empower preventative health and wellness,” Kumar said.

However, smart rings have proven to still be a hot device. Last month, Samsung entered the wearable ring space with its Galaxy Ring to compete with market leader Oura, which itself is signaling the same move as Ultrahuman and deepening its push into the health-tech space.  

A crowded space, indeed — and that’s before Apple has even taken a shot at the wearable ring space. Industry experts have anticipated the tech giant joining Oura and Samsung, especially when considering Apple’s patent filings. 

Ultrahuman appears to be going beyond wearables, having announced Blood Vision, a blood test that correlates sleep changes, resting heart rate, HRV and movement trends with markers in the blood.

The company provides an example of how it would work, where the system can ascertain how an improvement such as sleep quality may influence an LDL marker — the goal being for users to fully see the connection between their lifestyle habits and their blood markers. Over time, users can track the progression of certain health markers, receiving a true “behind the curtain” look at their health.

Next Up: Healthy Homes

As the at-home environment is predicted to become the epicenter of the wellness real estate market and its projected expansion to $887.5 billion by 2027, Ultrahuman’s upcoming ‘Home’ device perfectly aligns with Global Wellness Summit’s top forecasted trend for 2024.

The silent, low-profile device will soon be available for pre-order and promises to optimize living spaces by monitoring daily markers that impact health — everything from exposure to artificial light, air quality, humidity and noise levels.

Users can also gain insights into snoring and sleep quality and optimize their sleep environment by analyzing external temperature. An airplane mode allows users to shut off wifi and Bluetooth, while a smoke sensor can alert users of a fire.

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Samsung officially introduced the Galaxy Ring, its latest innovation in wearables, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The new device marks the South Korean tech giant’s first venture into the smart ring category and the emergence of a key competitor for market leaders like Oura.

The Galaxy Ring comes equipped with a variety of sensors designed to monitor key health metrics such as heart rate, sleep patterns, respiratory rate and the time it takes for a user to fall asleep. The information will populate what Samsung calls “MyVitality Score,” which offers personalized health insights based on these different metrics. 

Despite the arrival of a new competitor, Oura CEO Tom Hale called Samsung’s entry into the smart ring space a positive for the industry as a whole.

“New players entering the space is validation for the category and drives us to aim higher to serve our members and community,” Hale told TechCrunch.

Although Samsung has smartphones and smartwatches, the Galaxy Ring caters to different consumer needs, noted Hon Pak, head of the digital health team at Samsung Electronics.

“Our own customers told us, I want choice. I want the ability to have other forms of wearables to measure health,” Pak told CNBC. “And some want to wear the watch, some want to wear the watch and the ring and get benefit from both. Some just want more simplicity.”

The Galaxy Ring is designed to work seamlessly with Samsung’s smartwatches, providing users with a comprehensive overview of their health when used in tandem. One of the most anticipated features of the ring is its ability to monitor noninvasive glucose levels and blood pressure, a significant advancement in health technology. Samsung is also researching how best to use artificial intelligence to give deeper insights into a person’s health. 

“Imagine (a) large language model, acting as my digital assistant, while looking at the context of my medical records, my physiological data, my engagement with a mobile device, the wearables during all of that … begins to bring greater insights and personalization opportunities,” Pak said. “A digital assistant coach is (…) absolutely needed.” 

The smart ring market could grow to $1 billion or more by the 2030s, according to industry estimates. Samsung’s entrance into the space seems to be a validation of the market’s growth potential.

Oura, the category’s leader by far, has around 100 granted patents, with almost 30 pending patents, which could suggest potential intellectual property disputes down the line between major players.

In addition to brands like Movano (Evie Ring) and RingConn looking to capture market share by offering differentiating features like a focus on women’s health and no subscription fees, there are rumors that Apple could look to enter the space with a smart ring of its own.

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Researchers from the University of Washington have introduced the thermal earring, a piece of smart tech they say could redefine how we monitor our health.

The device continuously monitors earlobe temperature to provide more insights into users’ health in a fashionable and discreet manner. Co-lead authors Yujia (Nancy) Liu and Qiuyue (Shirley) Xue conducted the research. 

Like the smart ring, the thermal earring combines fashion and functionality. Similar to a paperclip in size and weight, it includes a magnetic clip that attaches one temperature sensor to the earlobe and another that dangles below to gauge room temperature. It can also be customized with designs made of resin, like flowers and gemstones, without compromising its accuracy. It has a twenty-eight-day battery life, which is far longer than many competitors. 

The research team focused their work on the limitations of current wearables and proposed earrings as a stylish and comfortable alternative. Earlobes, Xue discovered, provide a more consistent temperature reading compared to hands or wrists. In small proof-of-concept tests, the earrings were less variable compared to comparable smartwatches. 

“I wear a smartwatch to track my personal health, but I’ve found that a lot of people think smartwatches are unfashionable or bulky and uncomfortable,” Xue told the University of Washington. “I also like to wear earrings, so we started thinking about what unique things we can get from the earlobe. We found that sensing the skin temperature on the lobe, instead of a hand or wrist, was much more accurate.”

The thermal earring can detect changes related to stress, eating, exercise and even ovulation. Xue and her team of researchers are looking into expanding the earring’s capabilities to include heart rate and activity monitoring and possible sustainable power sources. The device is not yet commercially available but could disrupt the jewelry wearable space. 

The wearables space has been hot lately, with Oura, Apple and Whoop all making waves and Samsung poised to enter the market with its Galaxy Ring, reportedly set for release this summer.

Brands like Oura, Apple and Whoop continue to evolve the technology behind their products, with new and improved features like Whoop Coach and Apple’s new mental health offerings. Temperature monitoring has become more popular than ever, with some wearables like the Oura Ring using it for natural birth control methods and cycle tracking. 

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As Apple continues to push into the health and wellness space, new intellectual property filings and reports speculate that the tech giant might be moving into the hydration-tracking and smart ring markets.

The hydration-tracking feature could continue to improve on the already-beloved Apple Watch, and the smart ring could disrupt that growing space currently dominated by Oura.

Apple recently filed a patent for a “wearable device with perspiration measuring capabilities” for its Apple Watches. The solution would be non-invasive and could measure perspiration, skin temperature and more to help consumers optimize hydration.

If successfully implemented, the innovation could also displace offerings that focus solely on hydration measurement, like Nix and Flowbio, which work through skin patches. Apple is also reportedly developing a noninvasive glucose-monitoring solution, reformulating its problematic SpO2 sensor, and working on a much-anticipated AI health coach. 

Is an Apple Ring in the Works?

At least one industry insider also claims that Apple is working on a smart ring offering. Samsung recently teased its Galaxy Ring at its Unpacked event in January, and Apple could be following suit.

The California tech company has filed several patents over the years that hint at their smart ring’s advanced development stages. The intellectual property suggests that Apple’s ring could have features like biosensors and the ability to control the Apple Vision Pro headset. A patent in 2015 shows the device as having an accelerometer and gyroscope.

The potential introduction of the Apple Ring aligns with growing interest in the smart ring sector, which is expected to reach $200 million by 2031.

However, many of Apple’s patents are several years to a decade old, demonstrating that the company’s explorations of the smart ring space might not come to fruition. Skepticism also remains due to a lack of credible information about the leak generally associated with imminent Apple product launches. 

Despite the tentative and speculative nature of some of the tech company’s plans, one thing is certain: Apple remains committed to health and wellness innovation and has plans in the works to continue improving on its wearables. 

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Oura has long been synonymous with “smart ring.” For years, entering the space proved difficult for many potential competitors due to the technological challenges of creating small and stylish enough hardware components for heart rate and blood oxygen tracking. However, several smart rings that have been in the works for years have finally hit the market or will be released soon.

Take Movano Health’s Evie Ring. The product was first showcased at CES 2022 and is a female-first wearable. Evie comes with a simplified app that tracks heart rate, activity, menstrual cycles and blood oxygen. It also allows for mood and menstrual symptom tracking to identify patterns over time, and has a small gap in the ring that is forgiving with finger swelling.

Smart Ring Competitors

Other smart rings were also featured at CES 2024. The Amazfit Helio Ring is a ring geared towards elite athletes that focuses on recovery. It has full integration with GPS sports watches, so users’ comprehensive health data is available in the Zepp app. The ring is expected to be released in the next few months, with pricing not yet available, although many believe it will be priced at around $350, similar to competitors.

RingConn, also displayed at CES, is more affordably priced at $279. It conducts sleep quality analysis and all-day heart rate and blood oxygen saturation monitoring. Like Oura, it offers stress index monitoring. 

Other smart rings offer more niche features. YogiFi offers a Mat + Ring that tracks yoga asanas, mindfulness minutes and breathing patterns to elevate users’ practices. Ultrahuman Ring Air is smaller and lighter than competitors and has advanced recommendations. For example, it can observe energy levels and circadian cycle to recommend specific times to consume coffee. 

Samsung Readies Galaxy Ring

Large players are also eyeing the market. Samsung has been teasing its Galaxy Ring, which will reportedly launch later this year. In addition to standard health and fitness tracking, Samsung might use the Galaxy Ring to control connected devices like smart TVs.

A newly filed patent by Samsung shows that a pair of XR glasses could use a smart ring to get positional information for users’ fingers and hands. The Galaxy Ring will reportedly be available in sizes up to 13 and in three different finishes. 

What To Watch in 2024

Many wearables have implemented subscription fees, such as Oura and Whoop. Some newer players, like Evie and RingConn, are hoping to capture market share with no fee, a feature that could appeal to many consumers. For the Helio Ring, users must subscribe to the service for $69.99 per year to access the company’s AI chatbot for health-related questions. 

The smart ring market size could surpass $1 billion by the 2030s. As more brands express interest in the space, will they be able to compete with Oura? Even larger players like Samsung may face an uphill battle to bring new consumers to the smart ring space and convert Oura users to their products. However, as the space grows, 2024 could be the year of the smart ring.  

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