Emanuel Ungaro smart ring, powered by Omate, takes care of VIP alerts

This luxe bit of smart jewellery is a collaboration with the French fashion house
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The last thing you want your smart jewellery to do is buzz constantly with random notifications from apps that you've forgotten to switch off.

Which is why the Ungaro ring, a new collaboration between Omate - which makes smartwatches - and French fashion label Emanuel Ungaro, keeps things nice and simple.

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The smart ring connects up to your iPhone - Android support is coming in early 2016 - and it does handle alerts using subtle vibrations to let you know someone is calling or messaging you. The twist is that the Ungaro ring only buzzes for one VIP contact set up in the Omate app.

That's it - no lights, no vibration patterns to remember, no keywords. Just choose a family member or your partner and away you go. The battery life is five days, which is on a par with most smart jewellery we've tested, though admittedly its more affordable rivals such as Altruis and Ringly handle more alerts, from multiple contacts, throughout the day.

Emanuel Ungaro smart ring, powered by Omate, takes care of VIP alerts

Manufactured in a fine jewellery factory in Arezzo, Italy, the smart cocktail ring comes in gold and silver and customers have the option to choose from blue topaz, opalite, sapphire, onyx and ruby for the gemstone.

The design is said to be inspired by Ungaro's Diva perfume from 1983 and it certainly nods to the styling of the bottle. Put it this way, judging by the press pics, Joan Collins would happily wear this.

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If the Ungaro ring doesn't sound cheap, that's because it isn't. Prices range from $500 to $2,000 and it will be available to buy from November 2015 through the Richline Group, which makes and markets fancy jewellery.

If the ring isn't quite to your tastes, Omate announced the smart ring as part of a strategic partnership with the design house so we could see more luxury tech collaborations.

TAGGED Fashion

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Sophie was Wareable's associate editor. She joined the team from Stuff magazine where she was an in-house reviewer. For three and a half years, she tested every smartphone, tablet, and robot vacuum that mattered. 

A fan of thoughtful design, innovative apps, and that Spike Jonze film, she is currently wondering how many fitness tracker reviews it will take to get her fit. Current bet: 19.

Sophie has also written for a host of sites, including Metro, the Evening Standard, the Times, the Telegraph, Little White Lies, the Press Association and the Debrief.

She now works for Wired.


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