Finnish health tech company ŌURA (say it like aura) is about to launch a new version of its highly successful Oura Ring, a new report claims, and it seems we only have days to wait as it’s predicted to arrive this month. The current Oura Ring is spectacularly good, so a new model will be highly anticipated.
The company has already sold more than 2.5 million Oura Rings in the company’s 11-year history, according to an interview at Bloomberg. In the interview, CEO Tom Hale was upbeat about prospects, although he declined to say a new Ring is on its way.
I interviewed Hale earlier in the year and he was similarly positive, unfazed by the arrival of Samsung’s Galaxy Ring. After all, he pointed out, Samsung entering the market increased interest in smart rings, including the Oura Ring. And while there was concern in some quarters that ŌURA charges a $6 a month subscription for access to the full features and Samsung does not, it’s not a worry Hale shares. Subscribers are staying subscribed, it seems. “Retention is better than any other subscription model I’ve seen,” Hale said.
And his response to Samsung’s arrival was similar to what he told me when he commented, “They were aiming at where we were two years ago.” Oh, and of course, the Samsung model is not compatible with iPhones, so there’s quite a market for Hale to tap into that Samsung can’t.
A new Ring can only enhance the company’s prospects, surely. The report claims that there will be a new design, saying, “The device will have a thinner design and better battery life, as well as more accurate activity tracking,” according to people with knowledge of the plans.
The current Horizon Ring is beautifully designed and very light. Even so, a thinner styling could be welcome. “It’s set to be the company’s biggest product overhaul in three years,” the Bloomberg report says.
What isn’t stated is whether this will be a cosmetic redesign or introduce new sensors. ŌURA has been consistent in adding new features by exploiting the existing sensors—both the third-generation models, called Heritage and Horizon use the same tech sensors on the inside of the ring—and the company will surely be keen to add more capabilities over time.
The timeline, if the claims are correct, means that it will be here sometime in October, which means it’s just days away from being announced.
