Oura Ring launches genius new feature to take on Apple Watch

The health and fitness tracker is rapidly developing new features as a part of a total wellness integration.

Apr 4, 2024 - 02:30

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Oura Ring launches genius new feature to take on Apple Watch

Whether you're a health and wellness enthusiast or just starting out, you've probably considered purchasing a wearable tracker at some point in your journey.

In fact, there's probably a good chance you're wearing one right now.

That's because nowadays, wearable devices that track one's fitness, personal goals, sleep, and other health markers are more popular than ever before. Thanks to dozens of newly available devices at relatively consumer-friendly prices, the market for wearables is one of the fastest growing corners of the tech space.

It's no surprise, then, that approximately one in three Americans wears a fitness tracker to map their wellness. And there are so many to choose from.

One of the most popular devices is the Apple (AAPL) Watch, and for good reason. The Watch, first launched in 2015, comes out with a relatively new iteration annually and can be used to trace metrics like:

Altitude and depth measurements
Sleep estimates and measurements
Heart rate
Medication reminders
Mindfulness reminders
Cycle tracking
Step count
Calories burned
Email, iMessage, and phone call capabilities

One of its main competitors, the Oura Ring, is owned and operated by a much smaller, Finnish company but focuses more of its attention on holistic well-being, offering users insights into the following:

Heart rate variation (HRV)
Respiratory rate
Blood oxygen levels
Sleep quality
Body temperature
Recovery
Activity
Mindfulness and stress levels

Oura tests a new feature

It's only natural that Oura and Apple Watch would be trying to outdo each other, constantly releasing new features to tempt potential users away from one ecosystem and into their own.

Most recently, Oura unveiled its latest feature available on its app –meaning it would be compatible for both its legacy Heritage ring as well as its newer Horizon ring models.

The app features a new section launched on Wednesday called Oura Labs, which users can utilize to track their health using Oura's newly minted Symptom Radar. The Symptom Radar uses inputs from the Oura ring to distinguish tiny bodily changes which might indicate a user is under the weather or at risk for getting sick.

Oura says it will detect these changes using the following metrics:

Temperature range
Respiratory rate
Resting heart rate
Heart rate variability

Oura already measures these data points, but adding them together as a part of a new tracking feature is what's brand new.

If the Symptom Radar does encounter a significant change, it will alert a user alongside his or her readiness score, which indicates how prepared and recovered a user is for the day ahead. Oura maintains that the report isn't a "diagnostic feature," and is not meant to outright detect disease or illness, and users should still listen to their body for cues about their own health.

Once a user is alerted to a potential change in their wellbeing, they can then activate a Rest Mode feature or adjust their daily fitness goals as they work to recover and get back to optimal fitness levels. It's important to note, however, that the feature is not foolproof, and a litany of other variables, like poor nights of sleep, a hard workout, or alcohol consumption may skew the report.

The feature is also still in testing mode, which allows users to give Oura feedback on their unique experiences with the new product. Oura will then ostensibly tweak and improve its product based on user testimonials – or remove the feature altogether – if the company deems it compelling enough.

Apple Watch doesn't currently have outright wellness monitoring, though the feature has been something of a highly-sought-after golden goose for most wearable companies, particularly since the onset of the covid pandemic.

Apple Watch does, however, offer insights into irregular or unusual heart rates, heart rate variability, VO2 max (depending on what model you have), and body temperatures.