Video
OURA
Oura Ring 5 announced with blood pressure monitoring, GLP-1 tools, and a 40% smaller body than Ring 4, with 9-day battery life.
Oura is rolling out Hormonal Birth Control support and Menopause Insights to Ring Gen 3 and Ring 4 starting May 6, including a US partnership with Twentyeight Health that lets users get a contraception prescription from a licensed clinician without leaving the app. Apple Watch and Samsung's Galaxy Ring track temperature and cycles, but neither has built a clinical care pipeline into the product itself, which is years of regulatory and partnership work that cannot be shipped in a software update.
Oura Ring 5 may arrive within weeks. Samsung’s Galaxy Ring 2 now looks pushed to 2027 as lawsuits pile up. Ultrahuman has finally started US shipping, while Circular is positioning itself as the only smart ring with FDA-cleared ECG capabilities. Here’s every serious smart ring in 2026, who each one is for, and how the patent war could reshape the market before the year ends.
WRSLT, published in Science Advances, translates American and International Sign Language into text in real time with 88% accuracy, tested on users whose data wasn't used to train the AI. Every existing tool uses bulky gloves that restrict movement and don't fit different hand shapes. The rings are a proof of concept for now, but they point toward smart rings that read intentional gestures, not just passive health metrics.
Samsung's Galaxy Ring 2 will launch in early 2027 as the first smart ring built specifically to support Brain Health, the AI dementia detection system Samsung unveiled at CES 2026. Battery life moves from 7 days to a target of 9-10, the ring gets thinner and lighter through reorganized internal components, and the sleep, heart, and skin temperature sensors all get upgrades. No other wearable maker has even announced a cognitive monitoring product. Brain Health is currently in clinical testing with medical institutions in South Korea and the US, with regulatory clearance still ahead.
Real-world smart ring battery typically runs 15 to 25 percent below manufacturer claims. The new RingConn Gen 3 leads on value with haptic feedback (unique in the category), blood pressure tracking, and a claimed 14-day battery at $299 with no subscription. Ultrahuman Ring PRO claims 15 days but only just shipped to backers.