Oura today announced the fourth generation of its smart ring, the Oura Ring 4. It’s gone through quite a few design, comfort and companion app changes, but the biggest breakthrough is new smart sensing technology.
The working principle of smart sensing is to use a new algorithm on the top of the sensor on the ring to meet the physiological functions of each person’s fingers individually. It also adds sensors to the ring for more precise tracking. The number of sensors has been increased from 8 to 18, which means a significant increase in accuracy. Oura claims that battery life has not been compromised for better results. Once fully charged, the ring should last for eight days.
New smart sensing technology will also affect comfort. The company claims The sensors that were previously embedded in the raised dome on the 3rd generation Oura Ring are now “recessed” to allow Thinner profile and better wear resistance.
Because of all these factors, the Oura Ring 4 should be the company’s most accurate iteration yet. Oura compared the third- and fourth-generation models and found that the latter had considerable improvements in blood oxygen sensing, breathing disorders, and heart rate monitoring.
In addition to redesigning the new ring and app, Oura has also developed some new features for its $5.99-per-month (or $69.99-per-year) membership. It goes from being able to track heart rate for 5 different activity types to including 40 activities. There is a new Stress feature that allows members to view their daily activities and the stress associated with them so they can better manage their daily lives. This is the feature I’m most looking forward to. Reproductive health features in membership are also becoming more nuanced. Cycle insights will now include estimated fertile days, chances of conception on those days, and estimated ovulation day.
Finally, Android users can access Oura Labs, which was previously only available on iOS. Oura Labs lets users test tentative features and provide feedback to the company. It also includes the Oura Advisor feature, powered by artificial intelligence, that can talk to consumers and provide insights for their health plans or help them better understand themselves.
Oura Ring 4 has expanded its size range to 12 sizes (from 4 to 15). Pre-orders are available now in six colors, with shipping starting on October 15th.
