- Oura reveals new hardware: Oura Ring 4 Ceramic
- The four new colorways offer a zirconia ceramic outer instead of metal
- A new charging case is also available, in a clamshell form factor
Oura, makers of some of the best smart rings, has revealed a new suite of hardware. The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic range is a quartet of new Oura Ring 4 smart rings, only instead of a metallic outer plating, part of the ring is comprised of tough zirconia ceramic.
This high-quality material is said to be incredibly durable, more so than the gold, silver or rose-gold-colored PVD metal film coating adorning the metallic rings in the line.
In a meeting with Oura's VP of consumer software product, Jason Russell, he confirmed the rings are more durable as a result.
"It's a really fantastic material: it's not just a coating, it's comprised of ceramic, and the color is innate to the material..." said Russell.
"It's incredibly durable and resilient. It's so tough it can, when brushing up against softer materials, take on a scuff from one of those softer materials, so it's something you care for like a diamond or heirloom."
The new Ceramic rings are available in four colors: Tide, Petal, Cloud, and Midnight, and in all other respects are standard Oura Ring 4 models. Russell was wearing his own Cloud off-white ring, and I got to see the others in person, which all looked great (especially my favorite, the jade-style Tide ring) but was not allowed to take any photos.
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic cost £499 / $499 USD / $799 AUD and are available now.
Charging case
That's not all the new stuff. Oura is also launching a clamshell USB-C charging case, in some ways similar to the case packaged with the Samsung Galaxy Ring.
The charging case is said to be easier to charge on the go, acting like a hinged opaque black case offering support for up to five full ring charges. Given that each charge lasts up to eight days, expect to go weeks, if not months, before charging the case.
Comprised of sandblasted aluminum, the case retails at $99 / £99 / around AU$150, although it's not yet currently available in Australia.
The catch is that it's sold as a separate accessory rather than packaged with the Ring, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Ring includes its clamshell charging case at the point of purchase (and, of course, doesn't require the ongoing subscription that Oura does).
Wearables as jewellery?
The new models look very chic in person, with those pastel jewel-tones being innate to the ceramic really helping the rings to pop. It would have been nice for the new charger to have been included, however, to keep the price down.
This release comes during a tough time for Oura's chief smart ring competitor: reports of battery drainage on Samsung Galaxy Rings coincide with one Galaxy Ring wearer being rushed to the hospital, as the battery swelled after a saltwater swim and clamped onto his finger. He claimed he "won't be wearing a smart ring ever again".
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