Latest news with #OuraRing4
Tom's Guide
13 hours ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 is reportedly in the works — but we could be waiting a while
A new report has revealed that Samsung is working on the sequel to one of the best smart rings on the market, the Galaxy Ring 2. This news comes from Galaxy Club, who claims that Samsung has started work on its next generation of smart rings. This is great news as we loved the original Galaxy Ring that launched in 2024 and have been looking forward to a successor device. However, there is some bad news about when we could be getting it. Galaxy Club's report makes it clear that the development process is still in the very early stages. As such, a release this year is highly unlikely, which makes sense as there was no mention made at the 2025 Galaxy Unpacked back in January. Considering it usually takes several months to move through the design process, we may hear more about the Galaxy Ring 2 at a Galaxy Unpacked event next year. These normally take place in early spring and late summer each year. We've been hearing a lot of rumors about the Galaxy Ring 2, including that it could feature a solid-state battery that could drastically increase the battery life. For reference, the Galaxy Ring is stated to offer around 7 days on full charge, but we found you'll likely get about 5 days off a full charge from regular use. If the new battery rumor is accurate, and does improve the battery life as much as hoped, then the next generation of Galaxy Rings could outlast even the class-leading Oura Ring 4, which is claimed to last for up to 8 days (although we found it needed charging after 6). The Galaxy Ring 2 may also use an onboard body temperature sensor, based on a recent patent filed by Samsung. This could differentiate between your skin temperature and the temperature of external objects, using a motion sensor to judge what you're trying to measure. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. There are also indications that Samsung could help to make the Galaxy Ring 2 more inclusive by including sizes 14 and 15 to the range. The size 14 Galaxy Ring 2 will apparently boast a 23mm interior diameter, and the size 15 ring would have a 23.8mm interior diameter. For the time being, we have to take any hardware rumors with a grain of salt, but the future is certainly looking bright for Samsung's next wearable. However, let us know what you think and if there are any major changes that you want to see in the Galaxy Ring 2?
Tom's Guide
26-05-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Memorial Day sleep tracker sales just got real juicy —$100 off the Oura ring and budget rivals
The first step towards improving your sleep quality is understanding how your body acts overnight and what's getting in the way of your rest. Tracking your sleep with a smart ring provides these valuable insights. Right now, you can buy an Oura Generation 3 Ring for $199 at Oura in today's Memorial Day sales (was $299.) That brings the sleep tracker down to its lowest ever price. I've been wearing the Heritage Oura Ring 3 to bed for four months and its become my favorite sleep tracker within that time. Yes, it's not the newest model from the brand (that's the Oura Ring 4, our best smart ring of the year), but its features fall only marginally behind. With Oura slashing prices on its old inventory, it's a great time to bag a good deal. Looking for a new mattress too? Today's Memorial Day mattress sales are now live, with big discount across some of our favorite brands. But if it's just a wearable sleep tracker you're after, I've dropped the Oura Ring 3 deal below, plus I've scanned Amazon Memorial Day sales to find you cheaper alternatives... Oura Ring 3: was from $299 now from $199 at Oura The Oura Ring 3 tells me everything I need to know about my sleep health and how I can optimize my rest, all while looking sleek on my finger. It tracks how long I take to fall asleep, my overnight heart rate and how long I spend in each sleep stage. That gives me an indication of how efficiently I sleep each night and, therefore, how ready I am to take on the day ahead, enabling me to tailor my workload and activity levels to my energy levels. With $100 off now, the Oura Ring 3 Heritage Silver is at its lowest price ever ($199). But this sale is only live until stocks last, so you'll need to be quick. Also note, Oura requires a $6.99 monthly subscription fee to access all features. We've never seen the Oura Ring 3 price drop this low before. Around Black Friday, it's lowest price was $349 at Amazon. But Oura's clearance sale has knocked that deal out of the park, cutting an extra $150 off. $199 is outstanding value on a sleep tracker of this quality and we don't expect the Oura Ring 3 to drop any lower until it sells out. According to Oura's LinkedIn page, their manufacturing factory is based in Oulu, Finland. Therefore, changes in US tariffs could impact the price of the Oura Ring going forward. Amazfit Helio Ring: was $199.99 now $169.99 at AmazonAmazfit launched the Helio Ring last spring following the success of Oura. Hence, it tracks similar sleep metrics to help you understand how good you are at sleeping. The current 15% off knocks the price from $199.99 to $169.99, making it $30 cheaper than the Oura Ring 3. This seems to be a standard, regular discount on this ring that appears around major sale periods. The last time we saw it was around Presidents' Day in February and we expect it to return around Prime Day in July. The Amazfit Helio ring is a great alternative if you missed out on the Oura clearance deal. Milavan Smart Ring: was $100.99 now $65.99 at AmazonIf you're looking to trial tracking your sleep with a smart ring before you sign up for a subscription or spend over $100, this is the deal for you. After 35% off, the Milavan budget smart ring is down to $65.99 (was $100.99). It is available in gold, black or silver, records deep and light sleep duration and wakefulness to give you a clear picture of your sleep quality. Customers give it a 4.4 out of 5 star rating and say its sleep tracking metrics are accurate.
Tom's Guide
25-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I spent 96 hours with the Ringconn Gen 2 Air — 5 things I liked, 2 things I didn't
I've been testing the Ringconn Gen 2 Air for the past 96 hours to see if it can compete with the best smart rings out there, including options from Oura, Samsung, Amazfit and Ultrahuman. Well priced and surprisingly well-specced, my first impressions of the Ringconn Gen 2 Air are largely positive. With four days of non-stop wearing behind me and a full review in the works, here are five things I love about the Ringconn Gen 2 Air so far, along with two things I don't like. The little brother to the flagship Ringconn Gen 2 ($299), the Ringconn Gen 2 Air is a straight-up bargain at $199. This price puts it in line with the best affordable smart ring I've tested, the Amazfit Helio Ring. Similar to the Helio Ring — but unlike the industry-leading Oura Ring 4 — the Ringconn Gen 2 Air is also completely subscription-free. I'm still in the process of testing the Rinconn Gen 2 Air, but it's already in the running for the best affordable smart ring of 2025. Priced at just $199 and subscription-free, the Gen 2 Air has similar specs and features to higher-end models, like the Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring, plus a long-lasting battery and comfortable, durable design. One of my favorite smart rings is the Samsung Galaxy Ring. Unfortunately, unless you're an Android user — I am not — the device is off limits. And to get the most out of Samsung's finger-based wearable, you'll of course need to own one of the best Samsung phones. Ringconn, like Oura, Ultrahuman, Amazfit and others, doesn't play favorites when it comes to smartphone compatibility. The Ringconn app is available on both the Google Play and Apple App Store. Ringconn says the Gen 2 Air should last for up to ten days on a single charge. That rating makes the wearable even longer-lasting than the best smart rings, but how realistic is it? Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. After exactly 96 hours of near-constant wearing, I've only used 25% of the battery. At this rate, ten days seems entirely reasonable. Of course, I plan to keep wearing it until the battery fully drains. Stay tuned for my full review where I'l report on those figures. So far, I'm finding the Ringconn Gen 2 Air pretty darn comfortable. At roughly 3.5 grams, it's no heavier than an Oura Ring 4. The thickness of the ring varies from 3.1 mm, where the sensors protrude from the inside, to 1.6 mm, where there are no sensors. While I prefer flush sensors, like on the Oura Ring 4, the pair of 1.5mm tall nubs (which appear to be heart rate sensors) don't bother me much. Ultimately, the size 11 fits comfortably on my index finger, while looking no different from an ordinary ring in terms of heft or design. The stainless steel exterior of the Ringconn Gen 2 has a few faint micro scratches from my four days of testing, which included dropping it on a hardwood floor not once but twice (accidentally, of course). The interior, where the sensors are, is epoxy resin and shows no signs of wear. Ringconn says the device is impact- and scratch-resistant, and I believe it. Ringconn also didn't skimp on environmental sealing. With 100 meters of water resistance — the same as the Oura Ring 4, Samsung Galaxy Ring and others — you can wash your hands, shower and even swim with confidence while wearing it. I strongly dislike confusing product names, and so the following must be said: Despite what may seem logical, the Ringconn Gen 2 Air actually weighs more than the standard Ringconn Gen 2. According to the brand's site, the Air weighs between 2.5 and 4 grams, depending on size, while the standard Gen 2 is between 2 and 3 grams, again, depending on ring size. I weighed both models on my own scale, and the silver size 11 Ringconn Gen 2 Air weighed in at 3.5 grams, while the black size 12 Ringconn Gen 2 checked in at 2.5 grams. The standard Ringcon Gen 2 is one of the few smart rings in 2025 with sleep apnea detection. Unfortunately, the feature is absent on the more entry-level Gen 2 Air. Though this isn't terribly surprising, it is a bummer. Along with a lighter design and use of titanium alloy instead of stainless steel, sleep apnea detection is one of the key differences that sets the $299 flagship model apart from the $199 entry-level option.
Tom's Guide
19-05-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Your heart rate could signal this about your reproductive health, says new Whoop study
Like many women, I track my menstrual cycle, and I find it's a great way to learn more about my overall health and well-being. Whether I'm noting fluctuations in mood or energy levels or simply checking when I can expect my period, my Oura Ring 4 has me covered. This article is part of Tom's Guide's Women's Health Week — a series of content that explores how technology and the right workouts can support and empower women through every phase of life. Most of the best fitness trackers or smartwatches, from smart rings like Oura to the Apple Watch, or Garmin, can tell you what your health looks like from nearly every angle — recovery, menstrual cycle and stress levels are just a few examples — so it's no surprise that your Whoop device can too. A new 2024 study published in Nature's Digital Medicine Journal and led by Whoop researchers can tell you how changes to your cardiovascular function could reveal more about your reproductive health and potential underlying health conditions. Here's everything the study found — and how the data could help you. Your menstrual cycle can tell you a whole lot more about your health than you might realize. And now, researchers have developed a digital biomarker for tracking the menstrual cycle using your wearable and cardiovascular health. Researchers of this study collected cardiovascular and menstrual cycle data from 11,590 global Whoop users — 9,968 natural cyclers who weren't using birth control pills and 1,661 who were. Using wrist-worn wearable biometric data, the team investigated cardiovascular fluctuations in resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate variability (HRV), which they called 'cardiovascular amplitude.' Both are known to vary, and the study examined a whopping 45,811 menstrual cycles to learn more. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Through the study, researchers hoped to know more about the reproductive lifespan and identify what menstrual irregularities (if any) occur using the continuous monitoring capabilities of the wearable and its biometric data, making it an incredibly unique study. They found patterns! Fluctuations occurred in a 'regular and predictable pattern across the menstrual cycle,' with those fluctuations significantly tempered (reduced) in those using hormonal birth control or those who were older or with a high BMI. For those with cycles who weren't using hormonal contraception, resting heart rate decreased at the start of each cycle, reaching its lowest point around day five, then rising to its highest point around day 26. The researchers hypothesize this could be linked with progesterone increasing during the luteal phase, which is 'dampened' when using birth control. In contrast, heart rate variability showed a reverse trend, reaching the highest point at roughly day five, then the lowest point around day 27. Those using hormonal birth control had a significantly lower cardiovascular amplitude, and reduced amplitude was also found in those with higher BMI and those of older age. While we now know that BMI is an unreliable metric, there's still a link between those with high BMI and irregular cycles and hormonal imbalances. We also know that perimenopause and menopause signal a drop in the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which is more commonly associated with age and or reaching your last menstrual cycle. In short, researchers believe cardiovascular amplitude and its fluctuations could be a useful measure of your hormonal balance and cycle health. Measuring your resting heart rate and heart rate variability near the beginning and end of your cycle could help you track your unique menstrual cycle and hormones using your wearable. Further investigation is needed, and the evidence is in its infancy, but it's a promising start for making reproductive health more readily accessible to women. Using your wearable, you may be able to look at two cardiovascular metrics at two stages in your cycle to help assess your female reproductive hormones across your menstrual cycle, over time, learning your "normal." Researchers believe this study shows a 'major difference' in the cardiovascular physiology during the menstrual cycles of females naturally cycling versus those using hormonal birth control, plus how this changes with age and BMI. Understanding more about your body and tracking your version of 'normal' may help you become more in tune and informed about your body. If you are worried about your menstrual cycle, hormonal health, or heart rate, always seek medical advice as a priority. We never encourage wearable users to self-diagnose without first seeking medical advice or relying solely on wearable data.
Tom's Guide
19-05-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
I just tried Acer's surprising smart ring, and it gives the Oura ring a run for its money
The Acer FreeSense smart ring is not something I'd expect from a company that specializes in laptops, monitors and even electric bikes, but there it was being showcased at Computex 2025 — and I got a chance to check it out. Acer's first-ever smart ring comes with all the health monitoring features you'd expect from the best smart rings, including health, sleep and fitness tracking, AI-powered insights and a lightweight, durable design with up to seven different sizes (in both Black and Rose Gold colorways). But there's one key feature that sets it apart from its major competition in the Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring: price. There's no subscription fee to get full access to all your health data, and it's available starting at $199. Already, the FreeSense Ring offers a lot of value. Can this smart ring tango with the best wearables around? After a brief demo during Acer's showcase in Taipei, here's what I learned about the Acer FreeSense Ring. Acer FreeSense Ring Price $199-$249 Dimensions 8 x 2.6mm Sizes 7 - 13, 7 total sizes Weight 2.0 - 3.0 g Colors Matte Finish: Black, Gloss Finish: Rose Gold Battery life Up to 4 days Sensors PPG (heart rate, SpO2), accelerometer Talking to a representative, I was told the Acer FreeSense smart ring will be available for around $199 to $250, and it's set to be released sometime in August. The price is still being worked out, but this is the ballpark Acer is aiming for. At $199, this places it at the same cost as the Amazon Helio Ring, which is the best value smart ring on the market right now. In addition to being subscription-free, the FreeSense Ring has a lot going for it, but this isn't just due to its pricing. When picking up the FreeSense smart ring, I could tell this would be a wearable I would barely notice being on. I wasn't able to try on the ring itself, as it was tethered to a cable and the models on show didn't come in my size, but Acer's ring certainly offers some lightweight, minimalist style. Speaking of sizes, it's available in sizes 7 to 13. This is less than the Oura Ring 4 (4 to 15) or Samsung Galaxy Ring (5 to 15), but more than some other value-focused smart rings, like the Amazfit Helio (8, 10 and 12). Weighing just 2-3 grams (depending on ring size) and with dimensions of 2.6 to 8mm, this is as light and compact as a smart can get (not unlike the Ultrahuman Ring Air and the RingConn Gen 2). I'm a fan of the look and feel of the FreeSense, and it's sure to get you through all the rough and tumble of physical activity and the like. It's made of titanium alloy, vacuum plating and PVD coating, coming in black and rose gold (the former is very much to my liking), and comes with an IP68 rating so dirt and scuffs shouldn't be a problem. That also means a water resistance of up to 50m, which shouldn't be a problem for the majority of swimmers. Overall, it looks and feels like a general ring, with a design that doesn't feel like it's anything more than what it boasts — something you'd want in a smart ring. One of the first things I asked was what this smart ring can track, and the Acer FreeSense Ring includes everything you'd expect. It collects heart rate monitoring, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels and sleep quality, along with fitness tracking such as your steps. How accurate is this? We'll have to take a proper look, but this is a smart ring through and through. One thing that was emphasized to me was its sleep analysis, which can tell you the different stages of sleep you go through via its sleep stage analysis. So, everything from your REM to your deep sleep. As you might expect, this should be accurate enough, but may have slight differences, such as the Oura Ring 4 vs Ultrahuman Ring Air. From what I've seen, it appears to be more focused on sleep rather than workouts, but it's tricky to tell without using it (the best smartwatches are known to do a good job). There's still a lot to learn about what the Acer FreeSense Ring can do and how accurate it can deal with your biometrics, but without a subscription fee, that makes it all the more enticing for those who want a 24/7 analysis of their health with just a one-time fee. The Acer FreeSense Ring can last 4 days on a single charge. This isn't the longest a smart ring can go for, as the Oura Ring can last up to 8 days, while the Galaxy Ring can get you up to 7 days. Still, it's long enough without having to worry about its charge, and should be similar to the Amazfit Helio smart ring (also around 4 to 5 days). Interestingly, though, I was told that a one-hour charge could get you its full battery life of up to four days, which already beats Amazfit's ring (up to two hours). Battery capacity wasn't mentioned, but it's already looking like this smart ring can last a good while before needing a boost. So, what can the ring work on? Well, everything, it seems, as the Acer FreeSense smart ring comes with a companion app that compatible with iOS and Android. That's already better than the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which only works with Android, and it means no matter if you have the latest iPhone 16 or Pixel 9a, it's app will work just fine. From the interface that I saw, you can expect a user-friendly design displaying all the health metrics on the home tab. However, seeing as it's powered by AI (what isn't these days?), you will also get personalized insights on the health data that is recorded. So, it will tell you if you're getting enough sleep, what you need to do to get good rest, if your heart rate is too high and the like. One thing that goes beyond health features is the smart ring's gesture features. For example, I was able to wave 'hello' in order to take a picture on a tablet. This means it works on smartphones, too. Don't worry; there isn't just a blur of your hand shaking while the picture is taken, and you can wave and get prepared to the snap. I didn't experience any other gestures, but there's sure to be more than just the one. No word on special insights like the Galaxy Ring's sleep apnoea detection, but I'd expect it to offer similar features. There's still a lot to learn about the Acer FreeSense Ring, but as far as smart rings go, this is clearly in the running to be one of the best value smart rings you can get. I mean, at $199 and no subscription fees, it's on its way to be a wearable that many people interested in finger-wielding devices should put on their radar. It's global release is set to arrive sometime in August (no specific date just yet), so we'll have to wait and see how well it performs. One thing's for sure, this is unknown territory for Acer, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs, and if it offers some special compatibility to the brand's PCs (like its gesture features). Stay tuned for more to come while we're on the ground at Computex 2025.
