Circular Unveils Thinner, Lighter Smart Ring

Circular released its latest smart ring, upping the ante in the wearable wars.

What’s happening: The French startup claims the Circular Ring Slim is the world’s thinnest, lightest model at 2.2mm and 2g. Discreetly designed, it’s packed with sensors and haptics providing a suite of health-tracking features to those seeking a less-bulky wearable.

How it works: Vitals are captured every two minutes by leveraging a three-axis accelerometer, plus surface and PPG sensors. Working in sync with the app, Circular supports users across three main areas:

• Insights. Heart and respiration rates, VO2 max, blood oxygen, HRV and sleep staging/chronotypes – à la Oura – are tracked daily.
• AI coach. Like WHOOP, an AI coach called Kira+ asks questions about daily habits and preferences, delivering personalised recommendations.
• Gamification. A community-wide leaderboard, challenges and financial rewards through Circular’s own coin currency aim to keep users motivated.

Ringside View

With physical inactivity at record highs and noncommunicable diseases causing 41M deaths each year, demand for unobtrusive health wearables is climbing.

In the smart ring world, companies are furiously competing to knock Oura from the top spot, and Q4 2023 could see the shift.

• Korea’s Sky Labs raised $15M for a smart ring that measures blood pressure.
• Dethroned as the world’s lightest ring, India’s Ultrahuman Ring Air pairs with the platform’s CGM-enabled health monitoring.
• Movano Health launches women’s health-focused Evie Ring this month, joining Circular and Ultrahuman with a subscription-free model.

Meanwhile, Big Tech is going big behind the scenes, with Samsung’s ring allegedly coming next year and Apple filing patents on a ring while pushing new sensors for Watch.

Takeaway: Whether in wristband, watch or ring form, the best health tracker is one that’s worn 24/7. With most people sleeping poorly already, Circular hopes its barely-there wearable could clock up more continuous use over its bulkier rivals.