With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring, we've got a brand new contender for our best smart rings list – but the biggest name in the space has an upgrade of its own in the pipeline, and we've just got our first glimpse of the Oura Ring 4.
This leak comes from Android Authority, and consists of certification documents necessary for the device to go on sale. Images of the wearable are included, and it looks like Oura is sticking with its familiar flat and smooth look.
As you can see from our Samsung Galaxy Ring hands-on, that ring has a slightly concave shape, but there's no sign of that here – and no visible protrusions anywhere, so it looks like this will once again be a sleek, minimal kind of wearable.
We don't get too much more in the way of information about the Oura Ring 4, though it does seem that it will be available in a selection of sizes and finishes, like the current model. With certification now under way, a launch shouldn't be too far off.
Long-awaited upgrade
In our Oura Ring 3 review, we praised its upgraded sensors, impressive sleep monitoring abilities, and its "smooth and comfortable" feel. It's possible that we'll again see several improvements in terms of the sensor capabilities.
There have been murmurs that the next Oura Ring would support making contactless payments – that's something that the Galaxy Ring doesn't have, so that's potentially one way that this upcoming wearable could beat Samsung's offering.
Given the wealth of new AI tools and features we've seen lately, across all kinds of devices, we might also get some extras in terms of data crunching and analysis from the software side: though these might be part of the Oura membership subscription.
The Oura Ring 3 continues to get new features on a regular basis, and Oura has been in no rush to launch a new model – the 3rd-gen smart ring first went on sale in November 2021, so we could be looking at a three-year gap by the time the 4th-gen model shows up.
