It looks as though our best smart rings list is going to be needing an overhaul sooner rather than later, because not only is the Samsung Galaxy Ring about to be launched, it appears that Black Shark is planning a smart ring too.
Black Shark is a Xiaomi sub-brand that's best known for its gaming phones, such as the Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro, but IT Home (via Notebookcheck) has shared some promotional images and details of what it claims is the new wearable.
As our Chinese isn't up to scratch we can't tell whether these promo materials have been officially provided by Black Shark or have been leaked. Google Translate suggests they're official, and that's the line Notebookcheck is taking, but we can't find much information about them elsewhere online.
Draw your own conclusions, then, but given the buzz around smart rings at the moment and the quality of the imagery on show here, we can well believe that a Black Shark smart ring is on the way, even if it's not yet been officially announced.
Getting in the ring
As well as the images we also get some details about this smart ring: apparently it's going to be a mere 2.2mm thick, and offer battery life of up to 180 days. Considering that the Oura Ring 3 lasts for a week between charges that's very impressive, although we're assuming that the figure is for when the ring is in standby mode, i.e., when it's not actively being used.
As for the capabilities of the smart ring, there are mentions of heart rate, blood oxygen, and body temperature tracking. Black Shark (via Google Translate) is promising to put "health at your fingertips" with this wearable.
So far there are no indications as to when the wearable might go on sale, or what the price might be when it does. Given Xiaomi's involvement, it's possible that availability might be limited outside of China, but we'll have to wait and see.
As for what the Black Shark smart ring will be up against, there's still a lot we don't know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring. Samsung has confirmed that it exists, and that it's coming this year, but other than that we're still mostly in the dark – though rumors suggest it's going to get a full unveiling in July.
