Xiaomi-backed gaming company Black Shark has launched a smart ring promising advanced health monitoring, fitness tracking, and 180-day battery life from an included charging case.
The Black Shark Ring has been teased on the social media platform Weibo, though, as you might expect, it will initially only be available in the company's native China. Posts suggest it's priced at 599 yuan, roughly $85/£65 when converted.
From what we can make out from translations of the teaser posts, Black Shark's effort will mimic plenty of the features we've come to expect from the smart ring leaders, Oura, and will likely act as a cheaper alternative to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring.
Users can expect biometric insights like heart rate, bloody oxygen saturation, heart rate variability, and body temperature, with sleep tracking, workout tracking, and step counts included, too.
As of yet, though, we have no idea if there are any gaming-focused features here.
Wareable
Swipe gestures and presses would appear to offer some quick controls over the connected smartphone - such as app launching, photo snapping, or video playback control - and an LED light is also present to remind users to breathe, but that's about it.
However, it does have one neat feature that we haven't seen from any other brand - a battery charging case that can effectively provide six months of charge on the go.
The specs suggest the 16mAh battery inside the ring will only last around 4-6 days, which is fairly typical, but the recharging case - in theory - should mean you almost never have to plug in the device to charge it.
Wareable
Wareable says:
With the astronomical rise of the smart ring market over the past few years, the number of companies wanting a slice of the action has inevitably increased with it.
This might be the incongruous entry we've seen yet, though.
We're all for companies offering up their unique take on the ring form factor - and something like the Amazfit Helio is an example of a device that does things a bit differently - but the lack of any features in keeping with the Black Shark brand has us scratching our head.
Still, we'll reserve our full judgment until we've actually tested this one out - if it ever launches outside of China, that is.
How we test
Conor joined Wareable in 2017, quickly making a name for himself by testing out language translation earbuds on a first date, navigating London streets in a wearable airbag, and experiencing skydiving in a VR headset.
Over the years, he has evolved into a recognized wearables and fitness tech expert. Through Wareable’s instructional how-to guides, Conor helps users maximize the potential of their gadgets, and also shapes the conversation in digital health and AI hardware through PULSE by Wareable.
As an avid marathon runner, dedicated weightlifter, and frequent hiker, he also provides a unique perspective to Wareable’s in-depth product reviews and news coverage.
In addition to his contributions to Wareable, Conor’s expertise has been featured in publications such as British GQ, The Independent, Digital Spy, Pocket-lint, The Mirror, WIRED, and Metro.