No discussion of the blossoming smart ring category would be complete without mentioning Oura. A pioneer in this field, the Oura Ring Generation 3 is the smart ring to which all other smart rings are compared and is the best fitness tracking smart ring available today.

The reason for this is that it is a discreet yet sophisticated tool for monitoring wellness and recovery metrics. But while Oura may currently be the biggest fish in the sea of smart rings, that is about to change. Samsung's Galaxy Ring will be available this summer. Meanwhile, Amazfit and Evie unveiled intriguing smart rings at CES 2024 earlier this month. And we are only a month into this year.

With rumors that Apple and other major tech brands may have their eyes on the smart ring space, it would be easy to think that Oura CEO Tom Hale is a bit nervous. But that would be a mistake.

We took the opportunity to speak with Hale via email to get his perspective on the Galaxy Ring, how AI will be integrated into future Oura products, what customers can expect from Oura Ring Generation 4, subscription pricing, and more.

Our long-term vision is to shift the healthcare paradigm from one that disables to one that puts people in the driver's seat of their own health. We believe that technology will enable more personalized, data-driven, and preventive health care. This affects everyone from individuals to healthcare providers, insurance companies, and employers. This is an ambitious mission, but one that we are working on every day at Aura.

In addition, we continue to focus on women's health, a category that others in the wearables field have ignored in the past, helping women better understand their bodies.

Our first foray into this area was our period predictor, which we later expanded into Cycle Insights with the introduction of our first partnership with Natural Cycles. We have also prioritized the development of research and tools to help women better understand and track their menstrual cycles.

We also recently expanded our Medical Advisory Board, bringing together unique and diverse perspectives on infertility, pregnancy, menopause, sleep, and much more.

That's our interview with Oura CEO Tom Hale, and be sure to check out our review of Oura Ring Generation 3 and our guide to the best fitness trackers of 2024.