The upgrades arrive amid an escalating battle between smart ring manufacturers.
It is aptly named, as it is only 2.2mm thick and weighs in at a mere 2 grams.
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Changing the material inside the ring has made it so that it feels less itchy.
There is also less friction against the finger as a result.
Additionally on the hardware side, the new features include an improved scratch-resistant exterior.
It now also comes with IP68 waterproof and dust rating.
This is integrated into the new app feature called the Sport Session Circle.
AI and rewards
Circular has also made upgrades to its AI wellness assistant Kira+.
The idea behind the feature is to help consumers interpret their data and make it actionable.
These can be used for accessing premium features or purchasing products with offers from partners.
This feature is retroactive, so early users will benefit from everything they have done from the start.
The market leader by far is OURA, a Finnish company having been founded in 2015.
Meanwhile, RingConn, which just released its first model, launched in 2021.
Circular came about in 2019, and began crowdfunding through platforms Indiegogo and Kickstarter in 2020.
The newly minted company raised $405,000 and $380,000 on these platforms, respectively.
The rings unique selling points are its thinness, along with a haptic feedback function.
But designing such a thin health tracking rig especially including haptics has not come without its challenges.
This has been especially true for mass manufacturing, with some smaller parts being entirely custom-made for Circular.
For now, Id say its still divided between active and passive rings.
But as time goes on, I think active rings are going to take the lead, Kosman said.
The Circular Ring Slim sells for $281/259/226 depending on where you are, without any subsequent subscription fee.
We hope to share a proper review of the new Ring Slim soon.
Story byLinnea Ahlgren
Linnea is the senior editor at TNW, having joined in April 2023.
Dabbles in gaming and fitness wearables.
But first, coffee.
