Fitness fans have been obsessed with smartwatches for a while now, but now the weight has shifted to something more discreet: smart rings. Celebrities like Alia Bhatt and Jennifer Aniston are already embracing the trend.
These sleek, minimalist devices do a lot of what smartwatches do, but in a much smaller size and more discreet form factor. Despite their size, they can reportedly still track your fitness and health, and the upside is that you won’t even notice they’re there.
They are usually made of durable titanium; they can work for 7-10 days on a single charge. Weighing only 2.8 grams, they are designed for continuous health tracking without being bulky. Of course, unlike smartwatches, they don’t have a screen and work through sensors, so they need to be connected to your phone or tablet to do their job.
With several brands launching smart rings in 2024, we wondered: Are they the future of medical technology, or is it all just hype?
Health information at your fingertips
Dr. Taufik R. Panjwani, senior joint replacement and arthroscopy surgeon at Shalbi Hospitals, notes, “Many of these smart rings provide a comprehensive view of a person’s health, from heart rate to sleep patterns, REM stages, SpO2 levels and even ECG data. This insight helps fitness enthusiasts identify areas for improvement in their lifestyle.”
Moreover, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) India Monthly Wearables Tracker, the smart ring category continues to grow, with an estimated 72,000 smart rings shipped in India in the second quarter of 2024. at an average price of $204.6 (approx ₹17354).
Jitendra Choksi, founder and CEO of FITTR, explains why smart rings are gaining popularity: “Finger rings are placed closer to the blood vessels, which also means more accuracy as they are more sensitive. They sample heart rate and other parameters at a much higher frequency, which makes them better at calculating things like calories burned,” he says.
Adding to this, yoga fitness expert Dhiraj Singh says, “Important statistics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep patterns, activity levels and even stress, prompting the user with current health information and using AI and biometric data, smart rings provide personalized health recommendations that aid in proactive well-being.”
Gaurav Gupta, founder and CEO of Gabit, explains that the consent-based data sharing feature has made smart rings attractive to medical practitioners. He says, “Our consent-based data sharing feature has made it attractive for medical practitioners to offer smart rings to their patients, ushering in a new era in healthcare with continuous health tracking. As wearables become central to preventative health and lifestyle improvements, smart rings are coming to the fore.”
What’s next for smart rings?
Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, a fitness and nutrition expert, predicts that smart rings will soon become an indispensable part of our daily lives: “Their applications are expanding rapidly through integration into smart home systems and health monitoring applications. Smart rings are perfect for today’s lifestyle, where minimalism and multitasking are key. They are not just a temporary trend; they embody the future of technology easily incorporated into our everyday lives, increasing both efficiency and connectivity.”
Some brands to check out:
BoAT Smart Ring Gen 1 – ₹8,999
Gabit Smart Ring – ₹13 110
Pebble Iris Smart Ring – ₹5,999
Bonatra X1 Smart Ring – ₹11,863
ULTRAHUMAN Ring Air – ₹28,499
Samsung Galaxy Ring – ₹38,999
aabo AI Smart Ring – ₹13,998
Amazfit Helio Smart Ring – ₹25,999
FITTR Hart Smart Fitness Tracker Ring – ₹15,999
Woods Smart Ring – ₹4,799
Pi Ring X – ₹11,999
Noise Luna Smart Ring – ₹19,999
Don’t forget to check your ring size, as fingers can swell, and many models are waterproof, making them ideal for swimming or other water activities.
