After three months, 2024 is shaping up to be a momentous year for smart rings. What was once a niche industry with only a handful of key players has blossomed into a burgeoning market with brands big and small competing for the limited real estate on your finger.
Tech heavyweight Samsung notably unveiled the (much-leaked) Samsung Galaxy Ring in January with a release likely in late summer. Industry leader Oura will also probably launch its Gen 4 device later this year. But, these are far from the only brands leading the smart ring charge.
What follows are the five key players most likely to shape the future of smart rings in 2024, along with devices I'm most excited to try out.
1. Oura
The Oura Ring Gen 3 is the best smart ring for sleep and health tracking and easily the device to beat in this space. It's effortlessly discreet to wear, providing actionable insights into your sleep and workout recovery.
It's also due for a refresh. When can we expect one? Oura CEO Tom Hale didn't pinpoint an exact timeline when I spoke to him earlier this year. But, based on the brand's release pattern, late 2024 seems like a safe bet.
In addition to much-asked-for features, like support for mobile payments, easier sizing and better third-party app integration, I also expect the new device to boast improved activity and stress tracking.
Ultimately, Oura has the most experience in the smart ring space and currently manufactures what most people would say is the most popular smart ring on the market in the Gen 3. So, definitely keep an eye out for forthcoming leaks, murmurs and eventually, a product announcement from Oura.
2. Samsung
Samsung is the largest company by far to officially enter the smart ring space. And the Samsung Galaxy Ring is right up there with the Oura Ring Gen 4 as the product I'm most eager to try out.
Unveiled in late January at the Samsung Unpacked event where the Galaxy S24 phones launched, the Galaxy Ring debut was far from a surprise, with rumors of its development going back well over a year. Sadly, you'll likely have to wait until at least late summer to get your hands on one, if not longer. But I expect the Galaxy Ring to be fully available by the holidays.
While we don't know how much it will cost, we do know that the Galaxy Ring will be available in at least black, gold and silver and come in eight different sizes. It also may be able to make meal recommendations based on fitness goals, offer better battery life than the Oura Ring Gen 3 and keep tabs on a wide range of vitals. Here's a full breakdown of everything we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy Ring.
The big question is, will Samsung launch the Galaxy Ring with enough features and tech to take on a next-gen Oura Ring? Time will tell.
3. Amazfit
Amazfit is best known for budget-friendly fitness trackers packed with competitive features that give brands like Fitbit and Garmin a run for the money. In fact, I found the $80 Amazfit Bip 5 to be more accurate than a $600 Polar V3.
So, when Amazfit announced the Helio smart ring at CES 2024, I was delighted. Created for health monitoring, it tracks heart rate, sleep, electrodermal activity, blood oxygen, stress and more. It's also designed to be worn alongside an Amazfit smartwatch, supplementing your fitness tracking data for improved insights.
Built from titanium alloy and 2.6mm thick, the device weighs less than 4 grams and is water-resistant to 100 meters. No word yet on pricing or shipping dates but I'm hopeful Amazfit will reveal those details soon.
4. Ultrahuman
The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a super-comfy smart ring and one of our favorite finger-based devices not named Oura. It also doesn't come with a monthly subscription cost. Here's a closer look at how the Ultrahuman Ring Air compares to the Oura Ring 3.
With monitoring for heart rate, sleep, recovery, skin temperature and more, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is a powerful little device rich with features. However, it lacks menstrual health tracking. And holistic data is a pain to export, as noted in our Ultrahuman Ring Air review.
But that just means Ultrahuman has its work cut out. More importantly, a follow-up Ring Air 2 with the above issues addressed could prove serious competition for both Samsung and Oura. And while the rumor mill has been relatively silent about such a product, it has been two years since the original device's debut.
5. Movano
CES 2024 also saw the long-awaited availability announcement of the Movano Evie, a smart ring developed specifically for women's health tracking. While the device is already completely sold out — we've yet to get our hands on one — it looks quite promising.
Available in silver, gold and rose gold, the 3mm-thick Evie weighs less than 4 grams. Key features include menstrual health tracking, heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, sleep, stress and activity tracking, respiratory and skin temperature analysis and more.
As far as I know, this is the only female-specific smart ring to come to market. First shown off at CES 2023, folks have been waiting quite a while for its debut and expectations are understandably high. Ultimately, if it lives up to the hype, we may see other brands take a page out of Movano's book with their own female-specific smart rings.
Other brands to keep an eye on
While it seems highly unlikely, there's always a chance we could see the announcement of an Apple smart ring this fall, but don't get your hopes up. That said, it might give the Cupertino big boys some breathing room from the ongoing Apple Watch legal sorrows and newly filed U.S. antitrust suit.
Other brands to keep an eye on in 2024 include Circular, maker of the popular Pro 1 and Circular Slim smart rings; Amova, a budget-friendly brand similar to Amzfit with several solid-looking models; and Ringconn.
Want to know more about smart rings? Here's a briefer on what a smart ring is and what they can do for you.
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