Ultrahuman adds plugins and an app store

Oura was the original smart ring and probably it’s still the best one but the times they are a-changin’.

More: Detailed Ultrahuman Review

The new Samsung Ring has just hit the headlines and possibly an Apple Ring will do the same as soon as September. Other new competitors include RingConn, Ultrahuman and Circular.

Oura started out requiring only the ring to be purchased but the 3rd generation product requires a purchase and a subscription. That’s a potentially profitable and sustainable model providing there are no competitors. But there are competitors. We now see Ultrahuman competing as a cheaper product that requires no subscription, and we see the Samsung Ring that also has no subscription and a hidden intent to lock Samsung Galaxy owners into the company’s ecosystem. Circular is a new kid on the block and, for the time being, can only effectively compete on price.

All those Ring companies share a common theme as relatively ring-fenced apps.

Ultrahuman App Store

Ultrahuman recently announced PowerPlugs, an app store of sorts. That sounds like a bold move to jump-start its capabilities and features by piggybacking on the skills of third-party developers.

On closer inspection, the app store seems more closed than I first thought. Initially, at least, the PowerPlugs (apps) will be made by Ultrahuman and may require additional payments. The latest example is an atrial fibrillation (AFib) rolled out to selected countries where Ultrahuman has gained regulatory approval. Other PowerPlugs include Caffeine Window, Cycle Tracking, Jet Lag, Pregnancy Mode, Circadian Rhythm, Ovulation, and Vitamin D insights. Some of this data is already in the Ultrahuman app.

Admittedly, Ultrahuman appears to have more wide-reaching plans and has a software development kit called UltraSignal which could, for example, allow certain clinical trials to have direct access to data on the ring.

Take Out

Not as exciting as I first thought. PowerPlugs sound like a series of internal paywalls rather than a true 3rd party app store.

Maybe Ultrasignal will allow several 3rd parties to deliver us novel features. But I suspect that we need a greater variety of other data to achieve that. But here’s the exciting bit. Ultahuman already sells an invasive Glucose sensor, blood tests and has a smart home monitor to sense air quality. It appears that ultrahuman has a unique and sensible strategy to capture LOTS of lifestyle markers which should then tie in with one of the bigger trends of the day…longevity insights.

More Details Via: Ultrahuman