Latest news with #Ring4
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Don't fall for the Oura Ring 4 upgrade — the Ring 3 has the same sleep tracking tech and is $150 cheaper
From Oura to Garmin, Eight Sleep and Apple I've tested my fair share of sleep trackers over the past few months, but the one I always recommend to friends looking to optimize and learn more about their ZZZs for a reasonable price? It's the Oura Ring. While no sleep tracker is 100% accurate every night, in my experience the Eight Sleep Pod 4, aka our best smart bed of the year, and Oura Ring provide the most reliable data. I began tracking my sleep with the Oura Ring 3 at the start of this year and have recently upgraded to the Oura Ring 4. While there are noticeable improvement (like the Ring 4's more durable finish), if you're using the ring purely as a sleep tracker, I recommend saving your pennies and opting for the previous generation while stocks last. Here's why... While the underlying sleep tracking tech remains the same, the key updates Oura has introduced with the fourth generation ring revolve around improved battery life and sensor accuracy, and a redesign focused on comfort and better durability. The Ring 4 also introduces "Smart Sensing" technology and a wider size range. Oura Ring's "Smart Sensing" is powered by an advanced algorithm that works alongside the research-grade sensors within Oura Ring 4 to respond to each member's unique finger physiology, including the structure and distinct features of your finger (i.e. skin tone, BMI, and age). Battery life has also been improved with the Oura Ring 4. Oura Ring 3 claimed to last up to seven days between charges, though in my experience and that of our other reviewers, four to five days is a more accurate battery life window. However, I have used the Oura Ring 4 for four days and it has 48% charge remaining, suggesting it will power through eight days. Finally, the Oura Ring 4 has a more robust titanium design. I noticed the Oura Ring 3 start to scratch within the first few days of wearing it, so this is certainly a welcome upgrade. Oura Ring 3: was from $299 now from $199 at OuraThe Oura Ring 3 was released in 2021. It comes in two styles — heritage (a plateau design) and horizon (sleek circular design). In current sleep sales, there's $100 off the Oura Ring 3 while stocks last. Oura Ring 4: from $349 at Oura The Oura Ring 4 replaced the Ring 3 as of October 2024. This new-and-improved smart ring is available in six different smooth metal finishes including (in ascending price order) silver, black, brushed silver, stealth, gold and rose gold and additional ring sizes from 4 to 15 rather than 6 to 13. Prices start from $349 and reach $499. If you're looking for a comprehensive sleep tracker but don't want to splash more than $300, here's why I recommend you shop the Oura Ring 3 over the Oura Ring 4, after testing both myself... With $100 off all sizes now, you can get the Oura Ring 3 for between $199 and $349 (was $299 to $449). The Heritage style Oura Ring 3 is $199 in silver and black and $279 in stealth, and the Horizon design is $249 in black, $279 in stealth and brushed titanium and $349 in gold. Meanwhile the Oura Ring 4 sits at MSRP of $349 in silver and black, $399 in brushed silver and stealth, and $499 in gold and rose gold. No matter the model or color you're going for, you'll end up paying at least $150 more for the Ring 4. Add on top Oura's subscription fee ($5.99 per month or $69.99 per year) and this sleep tracker becomes a significant financial commitment. For me, the difference in sleep tracking functionality between Gen 3 and Gen 4 doesn't quite justify the $150 price difference. So, to save cents where you can I recommend shopping the Ring 3 while stocks last. While it is now a popular all-round health tracker worn by wellness enthusiasts, the Oura Ring has its roots in the sleep tracking market and has proved itself as a comprehensive snooze gadget. The Oura Ring 3 might not be the newest, most advanced sleep tracker on the market after being around for the best part of four years, but it still gives a reliable picture of how well you sleep each night. It keeps tabs on how long it takes for you to fall asleep, how long you spend in each sleep stage, how long you sleep overall and how 'efficient' your sleep has been. The Oura Ring 4 is said to be built with more accurate sensors, but there are no new metrics covered in your nightly sleep report. I've observed similar discrepancies in time spent asleep when comparing data given by the Eight Sleep Pod 4 smart mattress cover with that from both the Oura Ring 3 and Oura Ring 4. Between the Ring 3 and the Eight Sleep Pod I observed a discrepancy of between 16 and 44 minutes in time spent asleep. With the Ring 4 and Eight Sleep Pod, the discrepancy was between 11 and 36 minutes. Even with the latest wellness tech, measuring exact sleep time at home is a difficult task as you're literally in an unconscious state. Considering the differences in sleep time mentioned above are only a matter of minutes, I recommend the more affordable Ring 3. While one of the key upgrades between the two rings is focused on comfort, I haven't noticed a major difference between the two rings. Both are comfortable overnight. Sitting on your finger rather than your wrist, I find the Oura Ring more comfortable overnight compared with wrist-worn trackers that can feel claustrophobic in bed. In fact, the Oura Ring 3 is slimmer than the Ring 4 in the size I wear (size 9). The Ring 3 measures 2.57mm thick on the sides and 2.97mm thick on the "top" compared to 2.88mm all the way around with the Ring 4, so it feels less clumpy on your finger. In terms of durability, if you're wearing the ring purely as a sleep tracker, the Oura Ring 3 won't tarnish in bed. It is only likely to scratch if you're wearing it as an all-day health tracker. Having tested both the Oura Ring 3 and Ring 4, it's clear to see the Ring 4 is an upgraded, more durable product with longer battery life and more accurate biometric sensors. However, if you want an excellent smart ring for sleep tracking, you're in capable hands with the Oura Ring 3, which you can buy right now for $150 less.
Stuff.tv
21-05-2025
- Health
- Stuff.tv
This free Oura ring update fixes my biggest problem with the fitness tracker
The newest fitness tracker craze seems to be smart rings. They've been around for a while now, with Oura arguably the most popular option. I've used one, and while it's great – it isn't perfect. My biggest problem has been with the Automatic Activity Detection feature, or (in my experience) lack thereof. But this free update for all users fixes this problem, along with plenty of other improvements across the board. The update includes a reworked step-counting algorithm that ditches estimated steps in favour of actual pedometer-style tracking. I don't know why this wasn't here to begin with, but at least it's arrived now. Oura also tuned up how it tracks active calories, now factoring in heart rate to better understand the intensity of your movement. Crucially, Automatic Activity Detection has been tweaked to work at any time of day, including very early morning jogs. You can also backdate workouts from up to seven days ago, a handy feature for those of us to forget to log them at the time. This means your Readiness and Activity scores will actually reflect reality now – not just what the ring decides to notice. If you're into tracking your running splits, there are new views for that too. Plus, Oura's using your phone's data to pad out runs and walks with more detail. There's even a new trend view to make sense of your active minutes. There's also a nice sprinkle of additional third-party integrations. The ring now plays nice with CorePower Yoga, The Sculpt Society, Technogym, or Open. Oura will feed data directly into those platforms, and even offer subscription discounts for members. All of these updates are rolling out from today for free to all Oura users. Naturally, the newly released Ring 4 gets the update, but so do the older models.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Engadget review recap: Samsung's Galaxy S25 phones, OnePlus 13 and Oura Ring 4
We may bit a post-CES news lull some days, but the reviews are coming in hot and heavy as February begins. Samsung has already debuted its latest premium phones and we've published a few long-term reviews of devices we've been testing for months. In this installment of the reviews roundup, we've got phones, a wearable, a robot vacuum and a smart grill. There's something for everyone this week. Samsung has given us the first flagship phones of 2025 and they rely heavily on AI features to lure users. Sam notes that the company has improved those tools, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra feels like an iterative update due to the limited hardware upgrades. "This means a lot of what Samsung focused on in this generation feels more like a bonus rather than a must-have feature," he writes. "And when you can get around 90 percent of the phone's capabilities from previous models, the most dangerous thing Samsung is asking buyers to consider is why they need to upgrade at all." Like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung leaned heavily into the AI features on the regular S25. However, the company didn't spend a lot of time updating the design and major components of this model either. As Mat explains, this makes for a boring release for the long-running flagship line. "Unless you're desperate for a bump in processing power and battery life, it would be wise to see how heavily last year's models get discounted in the coming months," he says. The Eufy E20 is a first-of-its-kind transforming robot vacuum. While it works best in its core function as a robo vac, you do have the option of cordless stick and handheld vac configurations in the same device. "While Eufy isn't a stranger to making solid robot vacuums, this device is still a first-gen product in my mind — and a solid one at that," Valentina notes. "But you have to know what you're buying upfront: an above-average robot vacuum that can turn into a just-average stick and hand vacuum." Smart rings may still be niche, but there's one company that stands above the rest. With the Ring 4, Oura fixed flaws of the previous model to ensure its crown is safe for the time being. "If there's a downside, it's that Oura remains forever constrained by the limitations a smart ring imposes," Dan explains. "If you want something more comprehensive, then it's likely a smartwatch is a better option, but for everything else, there's this." While most phone companies are focused on AI features, OnePlus decided to build a compelling, flagship-level handset that isn't overloaded with bloat. "Throughout the years, OnePlus has used taglines like 'flagship killer' and 'ultra in every way' as a means of taking shots at its biggest rivals from Samsung, Google and more," Sam writes. "But for the OnePlus 13, it feels like the company just went and made a really solid premium handset without a bunch of AI fluff." Weber's first pellet grill, the SmokeFire, was a learning experience for the company. Thankfully, the longstanding brand learned from those missteps when it built the Searwood. The company's second smart pellet grill offers more reliable performance, excelling at low-and-slow smoking. Weber opted for an all-new design for this model, from the cooking area to the new display. There's also a manual mode that allows for open-lid griddling and searing. And while there are some caveats, the Searwood is a much-improved grill compared to its predecessor. According to Bloomberg, Apple will debut a new iPhone SE next week. This will be the first update to that model since 2022, and will reportedly nix the home button. The report also details specifics like a camera notch, USB-C and the use of Apple's first in-house cellular modem. If the timing holds true, we'll expect to begin our testing shortly after the news drops. In that same report, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman explains that Beats' PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds are expected to debut next week as well. The Apple-owned brand first teased an update to its fitness-focused model with a over-the-ear hook design last September. Gurman reports that the new model will have heart rate monitoring, which will be a first for a set of Apple earbuds. If the PowerBeats Pro 2 are indeed announced soon, we'll expect to have a review ready shortly after. I've got the Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds in for testing too. These buds won one of Engadget's Best of CES awards last month and I've been eager to get my hands... er, ears... on them ever since. During a brief hands-on in Las Vegas, the company's newly designed Magnetic Fluid drivers offered impressive sound, but I'm looking forward to seeing how this set holds up during a full gamut of tests.
