The two leading names in the smart ring industry are also arch enemies- Oura and Ultrahuman. And these arch enemies had an ongoing lawsuit, in which Ultrahuman had a major setback in court recently.
Following Oura’s patent infringement claim, the International Trade Commission halted sales of the Ultrahuman Ring Air in the United States. However, this setback may end up forcing one of the biggest hardware leaps Ultrahuman has ever made.
A new trademark filing by Ultrahuman with the name Ultrahuman Ring Pro strongly suggests that they are already deep into a redesign, one that could finally bring contactless payments to smart rings.
Ultrahuman Trademark Suggests Contactless Payments
A trademark filed in July 2025 confirms the new name for Ultrahuman’s smart ring- Ultrahuman Ring Pro.
But the new name is not what caught my attention, it is the category the application is listed under, Class 9. This is a category that covers software for contactless transactions. Simply put, the Ring Pro is being designed with contactless NFC payments in mind.
This one feature alone is a huge step up for Ultrahuman. No other leading brand- Oura, Ring/Conn, not even Samsung Galaxy Ring supports NFC payments. If Ultrahuman is able to crack the code by integrating a working payment chip into a ring form, it could instantly become one of the most functional smart rings on the market.
What It Means for Oura and Ultrahuman
Oura may have won the initial battle, but forcing an entire redesign, that too, for a company like Ultrahuman, might make it difficult for Oura in the long run.
You see, when you lose a patent infringement battle, you can’t do with minor updates and firmware changes. It’s never about the software, nor is it about the features. It is about the internal structure of Ultrahuman Ring Air’s sensors and battery, which Oura argues overlapped with their architecture.
For Ultrahuman, this means no curved battery, no repeat of the original sensor placement, no reusing the Ring Air’s internal skeleton. So, once you’re forced to rebuild a product, you might as well fix what everyone’s been asking for, including NFC, improved PPG accuracy, and a better battery life.
What We Expect From Ultrahuman Ring Pro
There’s a reason most companies have avoided putting payment support in their smart rings. Fitting an NFC chip into a round metal ring form is notoriously difficult. It needs the right materials, has to be made super secure, requires the correct internal geometry and a battery that can handle short, high-power bursts.
The “Pro” name makes it known that it isn’t just a refresh, it is a ground-up rebuild. Here are the likely changes we can make out from the Ultrahuman Ring Pro trademark:
A New Internal Layout
In order for Ultrahuman to start selling their new ring in the United States and avoid Oura’s patents, they may adopt a flatter structure for their components with a new possible battery shape. This could mean:
- A slimmer ring
- Improved heat management
Upgraded PPG Sensor
Most smart rings struggle with motion accuracy because of their placement and tiny form factor. This forced redesign gives Ultrahuman an opportunity to:
- Switch to newer photodites
- Refine their LED positioning
- Improve heart rate and blood oxygen sensing
A More Efficient Battery
Handling NFC power spikes needs a new battery design if it is to become a core feature. This could probably give us a ring with a longer battery life.
NFC Payments
Smartwatches support NFC, but it is a new feature for smart rings. Pulling this off is a real engineering win, not just a marketing tactic. If the filing is accurate, this could position Ultrahuman on top.
When Will the Ultrahuman Ring Pro Launch?
Ultrahuman has already made it clear with their trademark that they aren’t wasting time- a US-compliant model has shifted from plan to an immediate priority.
This brings us to anticipate when the Ring Pro will be available in the market. Since the trademark dates back to July 2025, and no possible sign as of November 2025, the strongest candidate for Ultrahuman’s next launch seems to be CES 2026 or somewhere in Q1 2026.
CES is the natural global stage for a launch. Meanwhile, the Ring Air remains available globally (except for the US) and heavily discounted for Black Friday!
Wrap Up
If rising from the ashes were a sport, Ultrahuman would be the champion. They didn’t just lose a patent battle- they used that defeat to come up with a better and potentially industry-leading device.
If Ultrahuman aces the developments they have put in their July 2025 trademark, it could easily become the most compelling smart ring of 2026!
Until the official announcement drops, the trademark is our only peek into the company’s next move.
