Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article examines the steep pricing of new smart rings unveiled at CES 2025, starting at 1,800 euros, and explores the advanced features and craftsmanship behind their high cost.
January 08, 2025 at 16:44 UTC
Rebecca Holzapfel
netzwelt.de
At CES 2025, smart rings were unveiled with prices starting at the equivalent of 1,800 euros. Find out here what features they offer and what explains the high cost.
Ultrahuman presents its “Rare” smart rings. (Source: Ultrahuman)
For those who prefer not to wear a smartwatch, smart rings have been a viable option for some time, offering a more subtle “jewelry look” along with numerous health-tracking features. At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, manufacturer Ultrahuman has now introduced its latest models—for which it charges a hefty price starting at the equivalent of 1,800 euros.
The smart rings in the “Rare” product line are available in colors “Desert Rose,” “Dune,” and “Desert Snow,” and cost between 1,800 and 2,100 euros depending on the model (according to the manufacturer, priced at 1,500 to 1,800 British pounds). This makes them more than four times as expensive as the current “AIR” smart rings, which the manufacturer offers for 379 euros. The reason for this potentially steep price increase is likely primarily the material of the “Rare” models.
According to the manufacturer, all smart rings in Ultrahuman’s “Rare” line are made of precious metals. The “Dune” and “Desert Rose” models are said to be made of 18-karat gold. In the “Desert Snow” variant, the material of the smart ring is said to be pt950 platinum, i.e., 95 percent pure platinum. This would make the “Rare” smart rings more like jewelry pieces with health features rather than health gadgets in “jewelry disguise.”
Both Ultrahuman and other manufacturers like Samsung and Oura have so far mainly equipped their smart rings with titanium cases or continue to develop them on this basis. The different colors are achieved through coatings. This is cheaper on the one hand—however, this coating can peel off with prolonged use or due to impacts. A smart ring made of solid gold does not have this problem.
According to the manufacturer, the precious metal rings from Ultrahuman are said to incorporate a variety of health technologies, including photoplethysmography (PPG) and 6-axis motion sensors. This is intended to monitor important health indicators such as sleep, activity, heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), stress, and skin temperature.
Initially, Ultrahuman plans to introduce and sell its “Rare” smart rings from mid-January in upscale department stores in two cities—at Selfridges in London and at one or more Printemps stores in Paris. Whether a global (possibly also online) release of the precious smart rings will follow is currently unclear.