The launch of Samsung's Galaxy Ring has begun to attract more people to this area of wearable technology, and one possible effect is the Kickstarter campaign for a new smart ring that is breaking funding records, although there are other, better reasons to pay attention to this campaign.
RingConn Gen 2, which has raised over $1.6 million since its campaign launched earlier this month (it’s also the fastest smart ring campaign to hit the $1 million mark and surpassed its previous campaign’s funding in just 36 hours (via Reddit)), boasts some impressive improvements over what came before.
The new model features the usual minor design changes, but you'll also find longer battery life (now 12 days compared to the previous high of seven), as well as sleep apnea tracking (RingConn claims its new device can detect the sleep-disrupting condition with 90% accuracy).
In addition to all the features of the original model, allowing you to monitor sleep, activity, stress, and heart rate, the Gen 2 Ring follows the original model's lead in terms of affordability.
Its retail price is a little higher at $299 (£234 / AU$460) compared to $279 (around £219 and AU$418, though if you back the project you can get the ring for $209 (£164 / AU$322)); however, it's still much cheaper than its rivals. The Galaxy Ring, for example, will set you back $399 / £399 (around AU$750).
We don't usually talk much about Kickstarter campaigns because they are so unpredictable, but RingConn has a good history in the world of smart rings.
We tested the company’s original smart ring, and in our four-star review of the RingConn smart ring , we called it a “solid alternative to the Oura smart ring.” Admittedly, we found it lacking a bit of refinement, with some syncing issues and lackluster workout tracking, but it boasts highly accurate data tracking and great five- to seven-day battery life for just $279 (about £219 and AU$418, and often on sale for less).
You can find cheaper smart rings, but they won't offer anything close to the performance of this device, making it one of the best smart rings out there from a value perspective.
While we'll still have to test this second-gen model for ourselves to know how it performs, RingConn has a really solid starting point, and we really wouldn't be surprised if the RingConn Gen 2 smart ring was in the running for best budget smart ring of 2024, and could even rival the Galaxy Ring.
We'll have to see how it evolves when RingConn Gen 2 launches in September.
