Since the day I’ve heard about RingConn at CES 2024, I’ve read enough about it to figure out whether it will be the next Oura competitor or not. I won’t lie; it did seem pretty basic to me initially, and then I got to know about all its tracking capabilities.
I’ll be sharing what exactly does RingConn ring track in this article and hopefully you will also get the idea how far behind RingConn is; in the race to be the next best smart ring.
What Does RingConn Measure?
RingConn is a health tracker designed to monitor:
- HR and HRV
- Sleep
- Daily Activity
- SpO2 Level
- Skin Temperature
- Airway Respiratory Rate
- Calories Burned
- Standing Time
RingConn comes with the following sensors:
- Photoplethysmography (PPG) Sensor × 4
- Temperature Sensor × 4
- 3D Accelerometer
So far, I have found people questioning whether RingConn is accurate or not. I will surely talk about whether RingConn data is reliable or not in the future. But, for now, let’s check what biometrics RingConn is tracking. Let’s dig in!
HR and HRV
RingConn smart ring comes with a Photoplethysmography (PPG) Sensor (× 4) that helps track HR and HRV. Unlike many other smart rings, RingConn’s HR/HRV tracking is not limited to nighttime.
RingConn tracks heart rate and heart rate variability 24/7. The HR data updates in every ~2.5 minutes. It is super easy to track real-time HR and HRV using the app. Further, RingConn uses HRV to measure physiological stress levels and body recovery.
Although RingConn tracks HR and HRV 24/7, I found the data may be unreliable as they do not match my Apple Watch or Oura Ring.
Sleep
RingConn has done some detailed work on sleep tracking. This smart ring not only tracks sleep duration but also monitors sleep efficiency and sleep stability. The RingConn app shows sleep stages in a graphical presentation that is pretty easy to understand.
RingConn also tracks movements during sleep time using a 3D accelerometer sensor and HR/HRV using the Photoplethysmography (PPG) Sensor.
The overall sleep data tracking is impressive to me. Inside the sleep tab you can find RingConn is tracking SpO2, Skin temperature, respiratory rate, and sleep HR.
However, RingConn is not tracking short naps. However, as a user, I can manually enter the nap data, which pretty much makes up for the missed data.
Also, RingConn is soon to roll out the Sleep Apnea feature in the upcoming RingConn Gen2, and it has applied for FDA approval for it.
Daily Activity
RingConn tracks activity intensity by tracking HR/HRV and blood oxygen saturation levels. The ring tracks distance, duration, and steps using the 3D accelerometer sensor.
Now, RingConn users can manually update their workouts, yet, I have to admit that the activity feature is still limited. RingConn cannot automatically track my activity type. For instance, while swimming or running, I had to enter it manually (which is tiresome); otherwise, this ring could not differentiate between whether I was swimming or running.
SpO2 Level
Similar to HRV, RingConn’s SpO2 tracking feature is not limited to sleep time only. This ring actually tracks blood oxygen saturation levels throughout the day in every 5-minute interval. Also, I can check real-time SpO2 levels anytime.
In my experience, the SpO2 tracking data of RingConn sometimes miss O2 drops during nighttime. During heavy workouts, I can’t tell whether SpO2 tracking is accurate or not since I do not wear RingConn while hitting the gym.
Skin Temperature
RingConn Ring comes with a Temperature Sensor (× 4). RingConn tracks changes in skin temperature 24/7. Tracking skin temperature by RingConn is significant as RingConn predicts menstrual cycles and ovulation periods using this precious data.
For me, tracking skin temperature with the RingConn ring helped me to detect illness early. Rising or falling skin temperature can be an early indicator of fever, circadian rhythm changes, inflammatory response, and even skin diseases. So, whenever I find skin temperature data in my RingConn app varies, I analyze the situation and take necessary precautions.
Airway Respiratory Rate (AwRR)
RingConn tracking the respiratory rate 24/7 is truly commendable. The airway respiratory rate clinically represents the ventilation rate of our lungs. A sudden alteration in respiratory rate could indicate that the lungs are failing to deliver oxygen to the tissues.
I have noticed that whenever I’m anxious or stressed, my AwRR value goes high. Also, I noticed that the high AwRR value can indicate fever and potential respiratory diseases. On the other hand, whenever the AwRR value goes low, my sleep score goes down, too! This may be because a low AwRR level is an indicator of sleep apnea.
Calories Burned
Surprisingly, when I put on the RingConn ring for the first time, the ring automatically started tracking burned calories almost immediately. Although it says calories burned are tracked based on activity intensity and HR variability, to me, this is still not very clear. You can find the record of calories burned on RingConn’s Activity Tab.
Moreover, my RingConn’s calories burned data never matched with my Oura Ring data. This could be because RingConn’s activity tracking is not as good as I thought (read it ‘poor’).
Standing Time
Not all smart rings track standing time. However, I noticed that RingConn thoughtfully added this feature. Using the 3D Accelerometer and other biometrics, RingConn tracks standing time and guides the user to a healthy lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrap Up
So far, RingConn has included multiple health vitals in the feature list. From sleep stages and HR/HRV to SpO2 and respiratory rate tracking, this smart ring covers all important biometrics. Unfortunately, not all tracking data are as good as expected.
Moreover, RingConn’s activity tracking is a mess. Considering RingConn is currently fighting for its way through competing with Oura and Ultrahuman, this smart ring needs to work more diligently on its software and sensors.
So, no, it is not a real competitor to Oura and seriously needs to get all of its data analysis together. Because with Samsung’s Ring in the market, the chances of RingConn to win the first place are pretty slime.
