Oura has just announced its latest smart ring, the Oura Ring 5. It’s aptly named, seeing as it follows the Oura Ring 4.
The thing Oura is really punting with this one is its claim that the Ring 5 is thinner, lighter, and smaller. That’s not really a big deal on its own. Lots of things get smaller over time. But Oura’s new 6.09mm-wide, 2.28mm-thick, 2-gram smart ring is smaller without sacrificing any battery life or sensor accuracy. That’s pretty impressive, if true.
What’s next? Tiny screens?
Oura used a redesigned sensing architecture, now with twelve signal pathways, stronger LEDs, and improved sensor domes for better contact with your skin to achieve the reduced size. All that, and battery life is still rated at between six and eight days (depending on a bunch of factors).
In fact, Oura says its accuracy has actually improved for things like overnight tracking and workout heart rate. The new ring should also have an easier time working on differently shaped and sized fingers.
The ring isn’t the only thing getting the upgrades. Oura says it is also updating the companion software with something it calls “Health Radar”. The company says it worked with 40 doctors and researchers for the new features, which will cover two specific areas at launch: blood pressure signals and nighttime breathing.
That’s not to say this dainty ring will transform into a full-fledged blood pressure monitor. Rather, it will keep an eye on your cardiovascular patterns while you sleep (that’s when the body’s signals are strongest and there’s less external ‘noise’) so it can alert you if it detects signs of strain.
Nighttime breathing does what you’d expect: if you unknowingly experience any breathing irregularities, the Oura Ring 5 can let you know.
Read More: Oura Ring 4: Ringing in the sleep changes
Lastly, GLP-1 Insights will give those on their weight loss journey more stats and a place to log side effects and lab results.
These all sound like something a company would need local medical regulator approval for, so there’s a chance one or more of them won’t be available here if the ring ever officially arrives. Or maybe it will be made available through Discovery again, and that won’t be a problem.
Either way, pre-orders have already started if you don’t want to wait. An important note: Oura says the sizing for this ring has changed, so it might be a good idea to get the sizing kit if you aren’t big on those kinds of risks.
US pricing starts at $400 (R6,525) for the silver or black ring. Add another $100 if you want one of the fancy colours or the new portable charging case. It holds an extra five charges for your ring and supports wireless charging.
