Oura has introduced its latest smart ring, the Oura Ring 4, which includes new Smart Sensing technology that works with research-grade sensors to adapt to your finger and deliver more accurate and continuous data. It will replace Oura Ring Gen3.
The lightweight, all-titanium design of Oura Ring 4 features recessed sensors for a smooth interior shape and thinner profile, which Oura says makes it more comfortable for 24/7 wear. Oura Ring 4 will also come in an expanded range of 12 sizes (4-15) and in Brushed Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, Stealth, and an updated Black finish that features a glossy, tungsten PVD coating for improved durability and a deeper black look.
Complementing the new hardware, Oura has also redesigned its Oura app for both iOS and Android, providing members with a more streamlined, at-a-glance view into both daily and long-term health metrics.
What is Smart Sensing technology? This features is designed to respond to each wearer’s unique finger physiology. The sensors, which more than double the number of available signal pathways from eight to 18 as compared to Oura Ring Gen3, automatically adapt to find the best signal path, ensuring continuous, accurate data in any situation. It also optimizes the battery to achieve up to eight days of battery life. Smart Sensing also makes it possible for the sensors, which were previously housed in raised domes on Oura Ring Gen3, to be recessed for more comfort.
Along with recently added features in the app like Stress & Resilience, Women’s Health, and Heart Health, along with plans to move into metabolic health, the Oura app redesign makes it simpler and faster for Oura Members to navigate the bigger picture of their health while also making it easy to dive into the details when they’re ready. The updated Oura app is available for all Oura members, regardless of ring generation, and is now organized into three sections, Today, Vitals, and My Health, accessible via tabs across the bottom of the home screen.
The Today tab is dynamic, surfacing relevant information depending on the time of day and the member’s unique biometrics and health goals. Across the top of the Today tab, Score Shortcuts allow members to easily see their latest Readiness, Sleep, Activity, [Menstrual] Cycle Day, Daytime Heart Rate, and Stress scores at a glance. Vitals provide more information on each of your scores, focusing on the ones that are most important to you, while the My Health tab highlights long-term, slower-moving metrics like Cardiovascular Age, Cardio Capacity, Stress Resilience, and Sleep Trends.
The new app experience will be available for all Oura Members in the coming weeks.
One thing to note about Oura Ring is that it requires a membership to get the most out of the experience. Oura Ring is adding new capabilities that will be offered with this membership. Chief among these is Automatic Activity Detection (AAD), which provides an even more comprehensive view of activity with the addition of automatic heart rate detection and heart rate zones. This means you no longer need to log heart rate manually.
There’s also a Daytime Stress feature to help you learn how to better handle periods of physiological stress. With the latest update to the feature, members can see daily movement, activities, and tags in the context of your Daytime Stress to better understand the physiological impact of different habits and behaviours.
With regards to women’s health, there’s now a Fertile Window feature that uses Cycle Insights to estimate fertile days, chance of conception at that time, and detected day of ovulation. This feature has been designed and developed specifically as an aid in conceiving a pregnancy and not as a tool to help prevent pregnancy. Fertile Window will be rolling out over the coming months, and members can join the waitlist for early access.
Initially available on iOS, Oura Labs is now also available on Android. Oura Labs allows members to test experimental features like Symptom Radar and Meals and provide feedback to the Oura team. Symptom Radar can suggest if members might be getting sick, while Meals helps members track meal timing and map it to their chronotype to better understand how when they eat can impact health metrics like sleep, stress, and recovery.
Oura Advisor, available in Oura Labs, is the first Oura feature that uses generative AI in concert with Oura health data and expertise to build a unique and personalized conversation with members to further their health goals and understanding of their data.
Oura Ring 4 starts at $470 in Canada and is currently available for pre-order, officially shipping starting October 15, 2024. A one-month membership is included with purchase, after which it’s $8/mo. or $90/yr.
Oura recommends that all Oura Ring 4 customers size their fingers using the Oura Ring 4 Sizing Kit, including those who have a previous generation ring, as sizing may vary from one generation to the next. Oura Ring 4 Sizing Kits are available online and in store at select retailers. Oura Ring Gen3 will continue to be available while inventory lasts.