The smart ring market is about to heat up with the likely launch of Samsung’s first-ever smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, which could be unveiled on Wednesday at the company’s latest Unpacked event. Before that, industry stalwart Oura continues to cement itself as the smart ring brand to beat.
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Take for example the latest feature unveiled by Oura. It’s an AI health advisor released via Oura Labs, the brand’s in-app platform that allows Oura members to test experimental features.
Think of the AI Health Advisor as a kind of personal trainer. The advisor provides personalized insights, recommendations, and encouragement to help members achieve their health goals. These encouragements include customizable coaching intensity and focus areas, as well as a forum to chat with your coach, ask questions, share your progress, and get recommendations based on your daily health data.
The AI health advisory feature is one of the many ways Oura is looking to prove to competitors and customers that it is the leader in the smart ring space. Oura regularly releases new experimental features for holistic health and wellness.
In recent months, it has integrated with key fitness apps like Strava, released heart health-focused attributes like the Cardio Age and Cardio Capacity feature, partnered with Target for in-store ring fittings, and launched cycle insights and awareness features for women.
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The AI health assistant features seem similar to a feature I tested earlier this year on the Ring Air from Ultrahuman, one of Oura’s competitors. The AI-powered food analysis feature helps you document the foods you eat throughout the day and provides recommendations on how to get the most out of the foods you log.
The feature tells you how many Ultrahuman users have reported glucose spikes after eating the food and recommends how to get the most energy or avoid spikes by pairing the food with healthier options. The feature also advised me to drink plenty of water before eating the chips and to take a walk after eating them to reduce any glycemic response.
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The AI features of both smart rings offer examples of how AI can be used in smart rings and wearable tech. We’ll likely see this Wednesday how Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring and its potential AI features stack up against other smart rings.