The new realm of body tracking includes blood pressure and blood glucose levels, an area that a new wearable called the PIN Pulse intends to play in. The smart ring, currently funded via Kickstarter, runs up against a still-unreleased wearable for diabetics, something called the Smalth Titanium Pro, and a Huawei software update.
The PIN Pulse isn’t set to be cheap, unless you snag one of the few remaining basic packages via the company’s Kickstarter. The basic smart ring is half price via the page, setting buyers back around R4,200 ($250). Expect pricing to double once the Pulse hits retail spaces.
Finger on the PIN Pulse
A range of features powered by advanced sensors (and the magic of AI) is promised to backers. Whether that’ll help the PIN Pulse to deliver “non-invasive metabolic wellness insights and glucose trends” remains to be seen. A new PPG (photoplethysmogram) sensor apparently delivers this, plus the usual wearable health insights.
The ring itself looks the part, if a shade bulkier than we’d like from our hand-based wearables. That could be the models the company has chosen, but it does look larger than is common. But if it can indeed track all of your wristband’s regular roster, plus breathing variation, woman-specific data, blood pressure, and glucose risk profiles, it probably needs the internal space.
A titanium build and three-gram weight are promised for the smart ring. A seven-day battery, too, but we’ll believe that when we see it. It’ll also handle pool duties, with a waterproof rating of five atmospheres (5ATM). If all of this holds up, it could well threaten your armband for tracking dominance. If not for the whole ‘I have to wear it on a finger’ aspect, anyway.
The company’s Kickstarter campaign started a few days ago, seeking $10,000. The nominal sum suggests that it was going to market either way. The $71,000 in backing (R1,2 million, at the time of writing) makes this even more likely. There are still 38 days to go to lob your cash into the ring, but the cheaper bundles and packages are almost gone. Best hurry. Just… be mindful of your blood pressure. The ring hasn’t been couriered over yet.
