(Image credit: Future)
According to a new leak, Garmin is designing a smart ring that could take on the likes of Oura, Samsung, Circular, and Ultrahuman. The leak comes from a Garmin News blog, which reported that on August 12, PT Garmin Indonesia Distribution submitted an official certification application for a “Garmin Cirqa Smart Ring”. These filings are mandatory legal steps companies must complete before selling wireless hardware in a region, so this is pretty concrete confirmation that the product is being worked on.This comes after the launch of the Garmin Cirqa smart band, a subscription-free, screenless tracker, which looks set to take on the Fitbit Air and Whoop 5.0. You can read my Garmin Cirqa vs Fitbit Air vs Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 5 face-off here.
(Image credit: Future)The Cirqa smart band was Garmin’s first step into screenless tracking, moving away from traditional smartwatches into 24/7 health tracking. The fact that they are using the same “Cirqa” name for a smart ring suggests Garmin might be building out an ecosystem around screenless health tracking. This is similar to what it has done with its Forerunner and Fenix lines.Shortly after the news leaked, the listing was pulled from Indonesia’s public database. When, or whether or not Garmin will launch the ring remains to be seen. If it does drop, the smart ring will enter a crowded market, mainly dominated by Oura and Samsung.Personally, I’d love a Garmin ring that would allow me to track my sleep and cycle without having to wear a watch to bed. While I’ve been impressed with the Cirqa band, it’s still pretty bulky, especially compared to my Oura Ring 5. I’ll be keeping an eye on these leaks as and when they drop.
