Oura unveils its 5 ring with a slimmer, lighter design starting at $399

Oura on Thursday unveiled the fifth generation of its popular smart ring, starting at $399. The Ring 5, which Oura describes as the world’s smallest ring, arrives just over a year and a half after the company launched it. Ring 4 and after seven months Ring 4 Ceramic. The Ring 5 is 40% smaller than its predecessor and comes with better sound quality and longer battery life.

The Ring 5 is launching alongside new software updates that include blood pressure indicators, activity tracking, on-demand care, and more that will roll out to Oura Ring Gen3 and later.

The new smart ring is available for pre-order starting today and will begin shipping on June 4. It is available in sizes 6 to 13 and comes in six finishes, including a redesigned Gold with a true gold tone, a modified Deep Rose with a copper look, plus Silver, Brushed Silver, Black, and Stealth. Black and Silver retail for $399, while the rest cost $499. By comparison, the Ring 4 started at $349.

Maz Brumand, VP of Product at Oura, told TechCrunch that the company reduced the size of the ring by about two millimeters and its thickness by about 30%. Brumand said that members of Oura have been asking the company to make the ring smaller and smaller, which led to the change to the smaller shape. Oura achieved new growth by reengineering its mechanical, electrical, optical, battery, and sensor architectures, Brumand said.

This new ring is designed to be useful to many people, especially people who have found more smart rings in the past. Oura says the latest version is designed to look and feel like any other ring.

Although Oura managed to run away with its design as a major player in the smart ring market, new products from non-registered competitors like RingConn and Ultrahuman have increased the pressure to innovate. The increase in competition also explains why Oura is launching a new ring just one and a half years after Ring 4, compared to the three-year gap between Ring 3 and Ring 4. It is also worth noting that the announcement of Ring 5 comes before the date. Version 3 of RingConn it is set to start sending.

In terms of standard battery life, the Ring 5 can last between six to nine days, compared to five to eight days for the Ring 4.

Oura also claims to have redesigned its sensors for better contact with the skin and added more powerful LEDs in an attempt to increase accuracy in finger and skin development.

Software updates

In terms of software updates, Oura is introducing the “Health Radar,” which is designed to track biometric signals in the background so members can be more responsive. Health Radar is powered by two primary capabilities: Blood Pressure Indicators and Night Breathing.

Oura says it will continuously monitor changes and behaviors that may indicate cardiovascular stress, alerting members when their biometrics show signs of high blood pressure. With Blood Pressure Indicators, Oura tracks blood pressure while you sleep when your heart rate is stable, as blood pressure should drop throughout the night. If it doesn’t, it could indicate a heart attack that can be read during the day, Oura writes.

Members will also be able to record real-time blood pressure readings from the cups directly into the Oura app.

With Nighttime Breathing, Oura aims to give users a better understanding of how sleep and breathing can affect their health. Members will receive a 30-day overview of rest and sleep disorders, expanding on the knowledge of nocturnal sleep they already receive.

Oura is also going beyond information to provide real care. The company is partnering with Counsel Health, an on-demand platform that combines AI and licensed physicians to bring care directly into the Oura app. Members will be able to ask health questions, receive personal medical advice, and communicate with doctors licensed in the US.

Members in the US will also be able to import diagnoses, medications, lab results, and tumors into the app to keep track of their health. While some may be wary of submitting their health data to the app, the company promises it is taking a confidential approach to the data.

In addition, Oura is adding a new activity tracking feature that allows members to start a workout and see important metrics in real time on their phone, such as pace and distance for activities like running and cycling. The company also updated the “Automatic Activity Detection” to be more accurate for low-intensity activities, such as pilates. Members can also connect third-party heart rate monitors to monitor their heart rate in real time.

Oura is also adding GLP-1 information that will give members a long-term view of their medication journey and monitor weight and body changes in one place.

For the first time, Oura is also trying to study brain health. Eligible members will be able to enroll in the Brain Health Study, which aims to compare short-term in-app activities with long-term activities. Oura hopes to eventually be able to map how everyday choices and recovery affect cognitive maturity and long-term brain health.