While demonstrating how fitness trackers could go beyond wristbands, Motiv caught the attention of the tech press in early 2017. Ultimately, though, the corporation found that exercise was not sufficient and began exploring other areas such as biometric device unlocking. However, Oura’s good health has been more than enough for her thus far.
In fact, 2020 was a boom year for the corporation, as organizations looked for creative solutions to the pandemic. Startup showed how its health metrics could help detect COVID-19 and other health conditions early, and some of the biggest sports organizations in America eagerly lined up, including NBA, WNBA and World Surf League as well as Red Bull Racing and the Seattle Mariners, as well as the United States Football League and NASCAR.
Oura claims to have sold “hundreds of thousands” of rings throughout its existence. A modest increase for a consumer electronics firm, but an encouraging sign for one in a market already saturated with a wide range of smartwatches and fitness bands.
The success of Oura can be attributed to its ability to fit an astonishing number of sensors into a small, discrete container while yet providing useful information about activities like exercise and sleep. While nearly all wearable companies are now making a strong play for health and wellness, this new gen-3 ring reinforces the company’s dedication to its bread and butter.
Among the most useful features is the ability to follow your health at all times thanks to a daytime/live heart monitor. Improved temperature monitoring, greater sleep tracking, and period prediction round out the list of important new improvements. When it comes to the latter, the corporation says the following:
Oura accurately predicts your next period 30 days in advance and alerts you 6 days before it starts, so you’re always prepared. Instead of relying solely on the calendar method, Oura takes a more holistic approach to predicting your period as your body temperature naturally changes throughout your menstrual cycle. While most tracking methods assume your cycle is the same every month, Oura’s Period Prediction adapts its predictions as your cycle changes.
Along with Fitbit and Apple, it now joins Samsung in offering fitness trackers and other wearable devices for use during workouts. The collection, which is slated to begin with more than 50 video and audio sessions on fitness, meditation, sleep, and breathing, is now labeled as “coming soon.”
“We’ll keep expanding that library. Both educational content — understanding the effects of things like caffeine and sleep — and also guided content,” CEO Harpreet Rai tells TechCrunch. “In the beginning, you’ll see a lot of meditation, sleep sounds. We’ve expanded that library tremendously. You’ll see more and more coming there. It’s a one-stop shop for your health.”
You may access all of these films, as well as additional health information, by signing up for a $6/month Oura Membership.
It’s “hardware plus subscription” if you consider Peloton, Tonal, Tempo, Hydro, and other linked workout devices. We’ve seen the same thing happen with wearables, too. Do you believe we’ll be able to fully transition to a subscription model in the future? I believe you can find other ways to pay for this. That option is still open to us. Because of the total cost of ownership, more customers are opting for this, though.
SpO2 blood oxygen sensing will be included in the ring’s future enhancements, and will be available sometime next year. The ring costs $300 and is currently available for pre-order. Mid-November will see the first shipments.