Recent FCC filings spotted by Android Authority provide the first clues about the Oura Ring 4, the successor to the Oura Ring 3. 

What the FCC filings show

The FCC filings for the Oura Ring 4, identified by model number OA11, make no mention of new sensors but confirm that it retains its heart rate monitor, respiration rate, body temperature, movement, and BLE sensors.

What is new?

Photos of the ring’s interior suggest a different sensor layout compared to prior generations, which could indicate the inclusion of new or improved sensors despite the filing not explicitly stating so. Last year, Oura acquired the ring payments company Proxy, which suggests its NFC technology could be incorporated into the Oura Ring 4 for payments and authentication. Many speculate that additional biometric sensors may be required to support this feature. The filing also includes a sample box label for the Oura Ring 4 Gold in size 15.

Other Smart Rings in the Market

The Oura Ring 3, released in 2021, requires a hardware purchase and a monthly subscription. In recent years, Oura has faced stiff competition, with Samsung announcing their upcoming smart ring which launches on July 24th, Ultrahuman’s subscription-free Ring Air released last year, and Amazfit’s Hello Ring which integrates with Amazfit watches.

Conclusion

The Oura Ring 4 is poised to build on the success of its predecessors, and its release seems to be relatively imminent. For more details and to view the original FCC filings, you can refer to the documents here. 

In an earlier post, we explored the possibilities of Garmin creating a Whoop-like competitor. This might be easier than developing an Oura competitor, as it would leverage existing heart rate sensors rather than require the complete engineering of a ring device. However, the growing competition in the market for ring health devices clearly proves there is strong demand for such products. It may make sense for Garmin to consider capturing a share of this market.