Tracking your fitness with smart rings isn’t a new concept. Despite devices like the Oura Ring being around for a long time, Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is launching soon. Because of this, smart rings are becoming very popular. People think smart rings will be a big thing since they can track your health despite being small.
But are smart rings ready to be used by everyone? There are still some problems that need to be fixed first:
- Smart rings can’t do much – They can’t even tell you the time! You need to use your phone to see things like how many steps you took or how you slept. Some workout tracking also needs your phone.
- Too expensive – Most smart rings cost $300 or more. Some like the Oura Ring also charge a monthly fee. Smartwatches have become cheaper but rings are still very pricey.
- Easy to get scratched – Rings move with your hands a lot more than watches. This makes them more likely to get scratched.
- Not accurate for workouts – Smart rings are great for sleep but not as good for workouts and activities. Tracking things like runs is not very precise.
- Limited app connections – Rings mostly connect to fitness apps only like Apple Health and Fitbit. There’s room for doing more things, like paying for things.
- Charging issues – Rings don’t last as long on a charge as watches. Each ring also uses its own unique charger instead of a standard one like watches. This makes charging inconvenient.
Smart rings have potential but still need to improve a lot before most people can use them every day instead of other trackers. Prices need to drop, activity tracking must get better, and charging needs to be easier. Let’s hope these issues are addressed soon!