Oura Ring 4: Everything We Know So Far About the Next-Generation Smart Ring

A recent leak of the Oura Ring 4 suggests that the next-generation smart ring from the Finnish company is imminent. With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring, competition in the smart ring market has intensified, adding to the challenges posed by Circular Ring, Ultrahuman Ring Air, and RingConn.

Oura continues to add new features, such as advanced stress management tools, to its app and Gen 3 ring. These will carry over into the Gen 4 model, and rumours are already circulating about adding two new styles to the lineup.

Here’s what we know about the Oura Ring 4 and what you can expect.

Oura Ring Gen 4: Possible Release Date

There is no official release date for the Oura Ring 4 yet, but the existence of packaging images suggests a likely launch in early October. The best guesses point to Tuesday 8th or 15th October as potential dates.

Oura Ring Gen 4: Design Rumours

Oura submitted two new smart rings for FCC certification (OA11 and OA12).

Oura Ring Gen 4: Expected New Features

The Oura Ring 4 is expected to deliver performance improvements thanks to smaller and more efficient hardware components, which should boost the battery life to around a week. However, Oura is also likely to introduce entirely new features.

Both RingConn and Circular Ring have improved heart rate accuracy during exercise. While it’s unlikely that Oura or any other company will produce a ring capable of perfectly tracking heart rate during intense physical activity, some improvements in this area are anticipated.

Quick Background on the Motiv Acquisition by Oura

In 2020, Motiv, a company known for its smart rings, was acquired by Proxy. In May 2023, Oura purchased Proxy, sparking speculation about what this acquisition might mean for the future of Oura’s technology.

In 2018, the Motiv Ring was still in its early stages and lacked the sophisticated wellness features that have since become standard in the industry. However, before its acquisition, Motiv had begun beta-testing features such as two-factor authentication (2FA), passwordless login, WalkID, facial recognition, and fingerprint identity.

Oura likely saw significant potential in Motiv’s technology. What remains unclear is how much Proxy invested in developing these features after acquiring Motiv. Did they continue development or hold off until a bigger player, such as Oura, came along?

Possible New Features for the Oura Ring 4

• 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication): Many users will be familiar with 2FA as an added layer of security when logging into apps. The Oura Ring 4 could act as a 2FA device, detecting a specific movement to authenticate the user.
• Passwordless Login: The ring could recognise its wearer through a unique gesture and enable passwordless login, allowing users to tap the ring on a computer to log in.
• WalkID: Motiv had been working on a feature called WalkID, where the ring would use motion sensors to recognise the wearer’s unique walking gait, potentially supporting other digital activities like authentication.

Digital Payments

I recently wrote about the Tapster Ring and Polar Payments strap, both of which use the CURVE payment system. CURVE acts as a bridge between your ring or strap and your existing bank account. This could be an interesting area for Oura to explore, potentially integrating a CURVE-compatible NFC chip into the Oura Ring 4 for seamless digital payments.

Notes On the Oura gen 4 Images

I included two images from Reddit showing multiple boxes of the Oura Gen 4. I have not validated this source who is not an active Reddit user.

I have colour-balanced the images myself and shown that version. colour balancing also normally highlights photoshopped areas of an image. such areas do not appear to be present on these images suggesting they are genuine.

However, I’m not sure about the alignment on the box of the phrase Oura Gen 4 nor that the ‘O’ in not accented on the subtitle.

Oura Ring Gen 4: Pricing and Outlook

The current Oura Gen 3 model is priced between from $299, with an additional monthly membership fee of $5.99 (following a six-month free trial). The Gen 4 will likely follow a similar pricing structure, starting at $299-$349. Perhaps undercutting the Samsung Galaxy Ring priced at $399 with no monthly subscription.