Smart Rings Are the Future of Fashion (Or Not)

Smart rings are the latest fad in both tech as well as the fashion world. You may love them, you may hate them but you sure can’t ignore them. These little pieces of jewellery (or technology?) can be used to send basic commands on smartphones, receive notifications of calls and texts, and connect to other devices using Bluetoooth. Having said that, let’s take a look at what we have been offered by way of smart rings so far.

MOTA DOI SmartRing

Capable of being paired with your Android or iOS device, this smart-ring would notify the user of emails, calls and messages. Depending on the usage, the company claims its smart-ring is capable of lasting 24 to 72 hours with a single charge and can be charged with a wireless charging source. The ring is available in “two majestic colours” – read: black and white. Priced at $200, MOTA can be pre-ordered here. It will be available starting April 2016.

Ringly

This is a smart-ring for the fashion-conscious techie. The ring has no external signs of being a gadget and it can very easily pass for an innocent piece of jewellery. But look closer and think again for this offering by Ringly is capable of notifying you of messages, social media updates and reminders of fitness and parenting apps. There is an entire range of different styles and designs offered by the company for the user to choose from. Pricing starts from $195 and the rings can be purchased here.

NFC Ring 2016

A crowd-funded Kickstarter project, NFC ring can be “used to unlock doors, mobile phones, transfer information and link people”. It comes in many options and variantsvto suit individual preferences. The ring is waterproof for up to 50m and it never requires charging. No, we did not make a typo -no charging ever. Pricing for NFC rings start at $29 and they can be purchased here.

Smarty Ring

Started as an Indiegogo crowd-funded project, Smarty Ring never made it to the market. Though things are quite unclear about its current status, this truly is one of the coolest concepts for a smart ring. The Smarty Ring is a chic, little gadget that aims to fulfill all functions of a smartwatch. The ring according to the concept was capable of supporting Bluetooth along with a battery that would last up to 24 hours. Even though the project reached its budget goals in December 2013, we have still have no news of its shipping. Fingers crossed until we get another update on this front.

Pulse Ring

This one doesn’t win a lot of points on style, or even utility, but it’s simply here for old time’s sake. One look at the ring means a trip down the memory lane -with its retro touch and feel, the ring is a reminder of a time when things were simpler in the tech circuit. Pulse Ring is capable of tracking your pulse, telling the time and playing grandparent to the smart-rings of today. The ring is priced at £22.99 on Amazon.co.uk.