At a recent media event held by smartphone company Honor, each attendee received an Insix smart ring. Jeremy Proome was one of the recipients and shines some light on the subject.
Smart rings are in line to be the next big thing, but they haven’t really taken off just yet. However, one of the first options on the market is the Insix smart health ring, and it brings some handy features to the table, but also misses the mark in some regards. But who is Insix?
Who is Insix?
The Insix name is operating as something of a sub-brand under Honor, as the Chinese company is undoubtedly interested in the wearable smart ring market and clearly testing the waters – with its own Honor-labelled ring in the works too.
Honor’s smart ring was expected to launch in late 2024, but seems like it will make its appearance in 2025. The Honor ring is expected to include health tracking and AI for personalised insights.
Measuring those metrics
The ring itself uses infrared photoplethysmography (PPG) to track heart rate, movement, oxygen saturation (SpO2), sleep, and a few other metrics. It does just about everything your standard Fitbit or fitness tracker does, and pairs with a companion app that gives you a breakdown of each of those categories.
When compared to a standard wrist fitness tracker, the Insix smart ring is impressively accurate. It tracks steps, sleep, and heart rate – all in accordance to what something like a Fitbit Charge 4 would do – albeit with some very slight variations.
The ring is charged by placing it in a small case, much like you’d get with a set of wireless earphones, and is plugged in using USB-C. It charges really quickly and the battery life on the device itself is enough for a few days of use.
Downsides
A downside of the ring is its lack of near-field communication (NFC), and therefore contactless payment capabilities. So, this is very much a wearable device to give you a rough snapshot of your metrics for the current day, not a game-changing accessory that allows you to ditch your smartwatch or phone.
Additionally, the sizing of the ring is rather small, so you almost have to force it onto your finger, unless you plan on wearing it on your pinky.
Not the ring that rules
Overall, the Insix Smart Ring is an interesting device, but feels like it’s a little early in the game. Some sizing adjustments and a few notification and contactless payment features would’ve gone a long way to make it something special. Although, that will come with a bigger price tag that many of the other brands’ rings will most certainly carry.
It scores 3 out of 5.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
