Latest news with #smartRing
Digital Trends
17-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Acer is making a smart ring, and doing it the right way
Acer is bringing some really impressive computing gear to the Computex event in Taipei this year. From the sleek Swift Edge 14 AI that is nearly half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air to the sleek Predator Triton 14 AI gaming laptop, the company has grabbed quite a few eyeballs. What came as the biggest surprise was Acer's shift into the direction of wearables, and specifically, smart rings. At the ongoing show, the company revealed Acer FreeSense, a lightweight smart ring that looks pretty neat and comes loaded with health-sensing features, but with a welcome surprise in tow. Recommended Videos How does Acer's smart ring stand out? Acer's FreeSense doesn't require a subscription, following in the footsteps of other established players such as Amazfit, Samsung, UltraHuman, RingConn, and more. 'Users also have full access to all health data without additional subscription fees, making the FreeSense ring a practical and reliable daily wellness companion,' says Acer. It's a huge sigh of relief. Oura is one of the biggest names in the smart ring segment. Yet one of the most controversial elements of owning its smart rings is the subscription model. If you're already paying hundreds of dollars for owning the hardware, paying an extra fee for accessing the full suite of health features makes little sense. Acer's FreeSense makes sense Of course, add-on perks such as expert-driven exercise sessions often come at a premium, and that's a model even the likes of Apple have adopted for their smartwatches. But a subscription is not a must-have, neither in the wrist wearable segment, nor in the smart rings ecosystem. A few days ago, Whoop also faced a similar backlash over its subscription-based upgrade policy reversal and quickly made a course correction. What else does it offer? Acer's FreeSense smart ring weighs just over two grams and comes in seven size options. It is made out of titanium alloy with a vacuum-plated process and PVD coating on top for extra resilience. Color options on the table are rose gold in matte finish and black with glossy polish on top. The build is IP68-certified (5ATM), which means you can take it for a bath without worrying about frying its circuits. As far as health sensing chops go, it can measure heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen saturation levels. Sleep analysis is also part of the package, with stage-based breakdown and continuous tracking. Based on the biomarkers it has collected, the companion app will also offer personalized guidance and create comprehensive wellness reports, as well. Acer hasn't announced the pricing yet, but it shouldn't go far beyond the $300-400 bracket, considering the features on offer. The likes of Circular Ring 2 have already integrated ECG measurement and blood pressure sensing at an introductory asking price of $239, though the final sticker price is $549 a pop.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
A New Oura Competitor Has Entered The Ring, From An Unlikely Place
Acer FreeSense Ring Acer Smart rings are all the rage, at least among a subset of the techy fandom, and the latest Oura-a-like comes from a more traditional name in tech, with the Acer FreeSense Ring. This ring has a titanium alloy outer shell, and weighs just 2-3g depending on the size chosen. It's available in ring sizes 7-13. As with other rings in this class, the majority of its stats are derived from optical heart rate reader hardware, which is notably hidden in Acer's rendered images. This hardware, of course, can measure your heart rate. And through this it can derive heart rate variability and, thanks to the use of a red LED in the sensor array, blood oxygenation. It will also monitor sleep quality, with any luck while proving greater comfort than the average wrist-worn fitness tracker or smartwatch. One of the distinct appeals of the Acer FreeSense Ring is it does not need an ongoing paid subscription. 'Users also have full access to all health data without additional subscription fees, making the FreeSense ring a practical and reliable daily wellness companion,' says Acer's commentary on the ring. Despite that, Acer does claim the apps will provide 'personalized wellness insights' and suggestions, which are a key part of the paid subscriptions in better-known fitness platforms like Garmin Connect+ and Oura, which costs $5.99 a month. It's impossible to tell how useful the Acer FreeSense Ring will be in reality, though, as Acer does not have an existing health and fitness software platform. While a neat concept, the Acer FreeSense Ring sits among the more stunt-like releases Acer reveals each year, alongside its eKinect bike desk. These initially eye-opening products exist, but don't always end up with super-wide distribution or all that much visibility, at least not for some time after announcement. That said, Acer's eScooter range is found in a bunch of super-mainstream retailers. Perhaps the FreeSense Ring does have a bright future after all. Acer has not yet revealed how much the ring will cost, though, or when it will hit shelves. The ring was shown off at Taipei's Computex show, alongside a whole heap of laptops, monitors and PCs. It will be available in pink and black finishes, and has swim-ready water resistance of IP68/5ATM.
CNET
08-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Ultrahuman, Oura Ring's Competitor, Will Fulfill Ring AIR Orders in US
Ultrahuman, Oura Ring's competitor in the growing world of smart rings, soon plans to fulfill all orders at its Plano, Texas facility, UltraFactory. Ultrahuman also plans to scale production to 500,000 smart rings annually. The facility is in partnership with SVtronics and has been operating since November 2024. Read more: I Put 3 Popular Smart Rings to the Test to Find Which is the Best "With expansion plans underway, the facility aims to serve 100% of US demand for the Ring AIR and will soon scale its production to more than half a million units annually," the company said in a statement. No date was given for the change. President Donald Trump's administration is imposing tariffs on imported goods from other countries, so the Texas-made products would not face such tariffs. The Ultrahuman Ring Air first came out in June 2023, and the company teamed up with Verizon to be the first carrier to sell a smart ring. The light ring, which costs $349, is available for iOS and Android and uses sensors to track sleep, recovery, stress levels, caffeine intake, calories burned, steps and women's health issues, including ovulation. CNET chose the Ultrahuman Ring Air as the best smart ring for fitness enthusiasts, while also noting that the ring is thicker than competitors, and its app interface could be better designed.
