Hey there reader! Just thought to start a semi-regular series of blog posts about some interesting tech that I've tested beyond those that I review on Temp (yes, I also buy or just try stuff some times!). These won't necessarily be full reviews but shorter, less detailed impressions pieces and might be more prone to grammatical mistakes :S But let's see where this leads!
In addition, I'll use these as an opportunity to extrapolate what these technologies can lead to in the future. I'm fascinated by new, innovative tech and it's always intriguing to me to consider where these can be applied and how some can give a taste of the future. In fact, trying to find trends in technology, especially pertaining to digital health, is what I do on a daily basis. And for this first blog post, I'll share my experience with the Oura Ring Gen3:
As its name suggests, the Oura Ring Gen3 is the third generation of the Oura Ring, which is itself a smart ring of sorts. While it looks like a chunky ring, it packs more tech than meets the eye. It's in fact a fitness wearable concealed around your finger. With its embedded sensors, it can track your steps, activities, heart rate, temperature as well as your sleep. That's an impressive host of health monitoring in a tiny form factor. And it's not even that heavy! I've been wearing it for some months now and even at the beginning I could easily forget that I'm wearing a ring altogether. It's truly designed to inconspicuously blend with your everyday wear, with minimal to no inconvenience.
What drew me to the Oura Ring, other than its minimalist aspect, are the independent studies that have been done to verify its tech. One peer-reviewed paper even found that the device could be appropriate to detect the onset of fever before symptoms show. In some cases, this could help identify conditions like COVID-19 infections in asymptomatic people.
The major downside with the Oura Ring Gen3 is the associated cost. It doesn't come cheap at $299 and while the app's insights are free for the first six months, you'll have to shed more $$$ afterwards for a subscription at $7/month if you still want those insights. The app will still be useable but you won't have full access to it such as personalised recommendations. But those prove to be rather handy, giving you insights into your sleeping habits/activity and these are presented in an easily digestible scored manner every day.
So the device's cost and subscription attached might limit the adoption of the Oura Ring Gen3. However, the tech it packs is promising, especially given that studies are being undertaken to verify it. It could be a worthwhile contender if you're looking for a replacement for a smartwatch/activity tracker without a distracting screen. I really like how lightweight and inconspicuous it is, but the cost will be prohibitive to most.
What the Oura Ring Gen3 represents for the future of fitness wearables is that of a seamless approach. Packing handy, verified sensors in a compact form factor could be adopted in other accessories that we use everyday, like glasses, necklaces or ear-rings. I can easily see a similar tech being packed in smart glasses (and the Solos AirGo weren't too far); and with the push for AR glasses, integrating a fitness tracking feature without the need for additional accessories seems plausible.
This marks an end to my musing about the Oura Ring Gen3 and the future of fitness wearables! Hope that anyone who gave it a read found it somewhat insightful! I'll try to diversify the types of tech I muse about and I've already got an idea what to write about in the next piece: my first experience with an electric vehicle (hoping that it counts as an EV)!
In addition, I'll use these as an opportunity to extrapolate what these technologies can lead to in the future. I'm fascinated by new, innovative tech and it's always intriguing to me to consider where these can be applied and how some can give a taste of the future. In fact, trying to find trends in technology, especially pertaining to digital health, is what I do on a daily basis. And for this first blog post, I'll share my experience with the Oura Ring Gen3:
As its name suggests, the Oura Ring Gen3 is the third generation of the Oura Ring, which is itself a smart ring of sorts. While it looks like a chunky ring, it packs more tech than meets the eye. It's in fact a fitness wearable concealed around your finger. With its embedded sensors, it can track your steps, activities, heart rate, temperature as well as your sleep. That's an impressive host of health monitoring in a tiny form factor. And it's not even that heavy! I've been wearing it for some months now and even at the beginning I could easily forget that I'm wearing a ring altogether. It's truly designed to inconspicuously blend with your everyday wear, with minimal to no inconvenience.
What drew me to the Oura Ring, other than its minimalist aspect, are the independent studies that have been done to verify its tech. One peer-reviewed paper even found that the device could be appropriate to detect the onset of fever before symptoms show. In some cases, this could help identify conditions like COVID-19 infections in asymptomatic people.
The major downside with the Oura Ring Gen3 is the associated cost. It doesn't come cheap at $299 and while the app's insights are free for the first six months, you'll have to shed more $$$ afterwards for a subscription at $7/month if you still want those insights. The app will still be useable but you won't have full access to it such as personalised recommendations. But those prove to be rather handy, giving you insights into your sleeping habits/activity and these are presented in an easily digestible scored manner every day.
So the device's cost and subscription attached might limit the adoption of the Oura Ring Gen3. However, the tech it packs is promising, especially given that studies are being undertaken to verify it. It could be a worthwhile contender if you're looking for a replacement for a smartwatch/activity tracker without a distracting screen. I really like how lightweight and inconspicuous it is, but the cost will be prohibitive to most.
What the Oura Ring Gen3 represents for the future of fitness wearables is that of a seamless approach. Packing handy, verified sensors in a compact form factor could be adopted in other accessories that we use everyday, like glasses, necklaces or ear-rings. I can easily see a similar tech being packed in smart glasses (and the Solos AirGo weren't too far); and with the push for AR glasses, integrating a fitness tracking feature without the need for additional accessories seems plausible.
This marks an end to my musing about the Oura Ring Gen3 and the future of fitness wearables! Hope that anyone who gave it a read found it somewhat insightful! I'll try to diversify the types of tech I muse about and I've already got an idea what to write about in the next piece: my first experience with an electric vehicle (hoping that it counts as an EV)!
