Subj : We probably wont see an Oura Ring 4 anytime soon, according to Ou To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Fri May 10 2024 15:15:06 We probably wont see an Oura Ring 4 anytime soon, according to Oura's CEO Date: Fri, 10 May 2024 14:00:50 +0000 Description: Oura announces two new features for the Oura Ring Generation 3, as its CEO implies we won't see a Gen 4 soon. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Oura has announced two new features for the Oura Ring Generation 3: Cardio Capacity, which is an estimation of your VO2 Max, and Cardiovascular Age. According to CEO Tom Hale, the features are part of Ouras plan to add the Rings software with meaningful updates around once a quarter. In a sit-down interview with TechRadar, Hale says Ouras strategy is not necessarily about the generations of hardware", implying we wont be seeing an Oura Ring Generation 4 troubling our best smart rings list any time soon. Our strategy has always been to release software features on a cadence of one a quarter, that are really meaningful like Cardiovascular Age, says Hale. So its not necessarily about the generations of hardware. The biggest impact, and this has surprised us as well, is that [the Oura Ring Gen 3] is a three-year-old design, and yet we are seeing growth two times what we were experiencing a year ago, with a newer product [at the time]. Its really the software thats carrying water. When we think about our next-generation ring, there are new things that might be enabled, but its really about the software when it comes to experience, insight, guidance or coaching for a user. What are the two new features? (Image credit: Oura) Cardiovascular Age is a feature that looks at your hearts relative age in relation to your actual age, by using the Oura Ring s array of sensors to estimate arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness is a condition that precedes high blood pressure and is commonly associated with aging or unhealthy hearts. Cardio Capacity, on the other hand, attempts to contextualize VO2 Max, which is a metric commonly used by sportspeople to determine how fit they are. Its a measure of how much oxygen your body can turn into energy, and its a metric commonly found on the best smartwatches and best running watches . You can find out more in our guide all about what VO2 Max means on your smartwatch . The features are said to be rolling out in late May 2024, and will be available on Oura Ring Gen 3 devices on both Android and iOS. Analysis: Oura refuses to follow its rivals with regular hardware releases (Image credit: Oura) In an era in which big tech brands such as Apple and Samsung are frequently criticized for bringing out generation after generation of wearables, and phones with bare-minimum incremental updates, its kind of refreshing to have a wearable device you know will be supported for a long time to come. It wouldnt have been unreasonable to expect the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring to have encouraged Oura to fast-track the development of an Oura Ring Generation 4 , so it could do a splashy launch of a new piece of hardware to compete for headlines against Samsung. Instead, Oura has chosen to let its features do the talking, and continue to upgrade its perfectly good device with an increasing number of software features. In fact, during a presentation of the new features, Hale joked that Samsung was making more people aware of the fact smart rings are a thing, implying not everyone interested in smart rings is going to have a Samsung phone and should that be the case, theyre likely to turn to Oura instead. Until Apple decides to produce a smart ring and we know the Apple team is at least mulling it over Hale is probably right, and the Oura Gen 3 is about to become more popular than ever. You might also like... Samsung Galaxy Watches (and the Galaxy Ring) could get an AI-powered heart health upgrade Smart ring vs smartwatch: Which fitness tracking wearable is best for you? I tried this Iron Man-style exoskeleton for a day, and it's so good I'll keep using it ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/we-probably-wont-see-an-oura-ring-4-a nytime-soon-according-to-ouras-ceo --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .