The Circular Ring Slim, the predecessor to the Circular Ring 2, was fraught with issues, ranging from inaccuracy and poor build quality to connectivity problems and subpar battery life. The plastic construction felt cheap, and the syncing process was notoriously tedious. Testing revealed significant discrepancies in data tracking, sometimes miscalculating steps by thousands. The overall experience was underwhelming, leaving a strong impression of a product rushed to market without proper refinement. The accompanying AI chatbot, Kira, added to the frustration with a lengthy calibration period and often questionable advice. These shortcomings set a low bar for the company to clear with its successor.
Circular, the company behind the Ring, acknowledges the shortcomings of the Slim and aims for redemption with the Circular Ring 2. Priced at $380, the Ring 2 represents a significant overhaul, addressing the major pain points of its predecessor. The most immediate change is the shift from plastic to titanium, offering a more premium feel and available in four finishes: gold, silver, rose gold, and black. The core technology also sees a major upgrade, featuring a new EKG sensor with FDA-cleared atrial fibrillation detection, a first for smart rings. Further enhancing accuracy, additional photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors promise more precise health metric tracking. These hardware improvements are intended to directly address the inaccuracy issues that plagued the Slim.
Connectivity and battery life were other significant areas of concern with the Slim. Circular claims to have resolved the syncing difficulties, promising seamless background syncing with the Ring 2. Battery life has also been doubled, offering approximately four days in performance mode with all tracking features enabled, and up to eight days in battery-saving mode. A dedicated charging dock replaces the Slim’s easily misplaced USB charger, further enhancing the user experience. The AI chatbot, Kira, has undergone a revamp as well, reducing the calibration time from 14 days to just four and promising smoother operation with more accurate and complex recommendations due to algorithmic and sensor improvements.
One of the most innovative additions to the Ring 2 is digital sizing. Customers can now use their smartphone cameras to measure their finger size against a card-sized object on the Circular website. This eliminates the need for physical sizing kits, a common hurdle in the smart ring market. This streamlined approach to sizing makes the purchasing process significantly more convenient, addressing a major pain point for consumers. This feature alone differentiates the Ring 2 from many competitors, simplifying the often cumbersome process of determining the correct ring size.
Despite the numerous improvements, the Ring 2 does come with one notable omission: the haptic motor. The Slim’s haptic feedback served as a silent alarm and held the promise of future notification alerts. However, the need to accommodate the upgraded health sensors necessitated the removal of this feature. While this may disappoint some users who appreciated the discreet vibrations, Circular intends to maintain a separate product line for haptics-enabled rings. This suggests a future revamp of the Circular Ring Slim, focusing on notification and alert features rather than comprehensive health tracking.
The Circular Ring 2 represents a concerted effort to rectify the shortcomings of its predecessor. The company has seemingly addressed every major criticism of the Slim, from the materials and design to the sensors and software. The inclusion of FDA-cleared atrial fibrillation detection, improved accuracy, longer battery life, seamless syncing, and innovative digital sizing all contribute to a potentially compelling product. However, the true test lies in real-world performance. Whether the Ring 2 can deliver on its promises and withstand the scrutiny of real-world use remains to be seen. The competitive landscape of the smart ring market is becoming increasingly crowded, and Circular faces the challenge of proving that it has learned from its past mistakes and created a truly competitive product. The removal of the haptic motor, while understandable, might also be a point of contention for some users. Ultimately, the success of the Ring 2 hinges on its ability to deliver a polished and reliable user experience, something the Slim sorely lacked. The redemption arc narrative is compelling, but only rigorous testing will determine whether Circular has truly risen from the ashes.
