Can I be sincere with you? I never thought there’d be something like a “smart ring” ever, but well, here we are today, and there are plenty of such techs, similar to the smart bracelet we reviewed a long time ago. These smart rings are slowly replacing the bulky smartwatches and other forms of wearable gadgets people use daily. The reason is quite simple: smart rings are lighter in weight and more discreet.
Today, we are going to focus on the Nova R, which seems to stand out from the plethora of smart rings we have in the market today. The reason for its standout is that it doesn’t let you pay a subscription fee before you can get started with using it, and to many people, that’s a big deal they can bank on.
Nova R Smart Ring Intro
The Nova R is a beautiful, titanium-finished smart ring designed for health-conscious modern consumers. It comes in different finishes, not just the titanium, but a lot of us just love how the natural titanium feels and looks. Also, the Nova R1 is lightweight; it comes in at 3g and is about 3mm thick.
There’s an array of sensors inside the ring, which measure different health metrics, such as heart rate, blood oxygen, and a couple of others. The ring has a small notch, more like a “dimple” in its body, and it’s best to have that dimpled part facing inside your palm when you wear the ring; that’s where the sensors are arrayed, and facing it inside your palm helps for more accurate readings.
Specs
| Product Name | Nova R |
| Price | $179 |
| Material | Titanium Alloy |
| Weight | 3g |
| Battery Life | 3 – 5 days |
| Full Charging Time | 1 hour (0% to 90%) |
| Waterproof | 50m |
| Tracking | Sleep monitoring, heart sensor, blood oxygen, gestures, stress measurement. |
Nova R Smart Ring Features
Just like the Diggro Smart Bracelet we reviewed a while back, it has health features that are completely functional and work for all genders. These features are what you’d typically expect from a wearable gadget of this size.
1. Long Lasting Battery
The actual battery specifications are not public, but it’s a 17mAh cell, and one thing is sure: the battery on this ring lasts up to 4 days after a full charge; it might even carry you up to the 5th day.
You’re to charge the ring using the dock provided in the product’s box; it charges wirelessly, but you have to connect the dock via the protruding USB-A cable to an adapter to charge the dock when it runs down.
2. Clean, Lightweight Build
Literally everyone who has seen and had the Nova R smart ring loved it instantly. The weight is light, although a little heavier than a typical ring, and the finish is exquisite, regardless of the color you choose.
Even so, the ring is designed to resist up to 50m of water, so you can swim with it. There are no fancies on the body; not even a display screen (as seen in some similar products); just a plain, utility-focused smart ring, with an intentional notch that guides how you wear it.
3. Zero Subscriptions
If you’ve never used smart wearables, you may not understand how much of a big deal this is for many. The Nova R doesn’t require any subscription to unlock any of its features. What this means is that, once you purchase the ring and pair it to the companion app, you can explore all of its features and functions without hitting a paywall, and this is truly great.
You can monitor your activity, recovery, daily tasks (manually inputted), heart rate, sleep rate, blood oxygen levels, and other stuff, all for free, without any subscriptions.
4. Multiple Size Options
Yeah, this smart ring comes in different sizes; from size 6 (16.51mm diameter) to size 13 (23.3m diameter), you have to choose your ring size.
You can wear the ring on any of your fingers, or replace your wedding ring; it pretty much looks like one.
Using the Nova R Smart Ring
As with any smart wearable, the Nova R has a companion app (Nova Ring app) that you must have to pair it to. The app is available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. Pairing the ring to the app is easy.
- Install and launch the app
- Place the ring on the charging dock, so it’s charging (which keeps it powered on)
- On the app, tap on “Add Device” and select your Nova R ring from the list of available devices to connect.
- Wait for about 30 seconds for the app to connect.
Once activated on the app, you can see all the features and functions you can track and monitor, and as I said earlier, you don’t need a subscription to access all those features. The ring doesn’t have where you turn it on or off; you put it on your finger, and it starts monitoring.
Nova R Smart Ring Review
The honest truth is, this is a basic entry smart ring. Most of the activities it can help you track, you have to input them manually; it doesn’t automatically detect that you’ve started such activities. and that includes activities such as jumping, gyming, and other daily tasks. However, the selling point is the fact that you won’t be making any payments to explore the full features on the Nova Ring app when you eventually pair your Nova Ring.
Aside from that, the Nova R smart ring is a good one and is truly affordable at $179.00. Its titanium body material looks sturdy and doesn’t scratch easily. Also, the 50m water resistance capability is a good feature for people who love swimming. The battery lasts for days, and it takes roughly 1 hour to charge, using the wireless dock.
Conclusion
Because the health features are completely free, you cannot export the data to other fitness applications, and that could be another deal breaker for some. But for an entry-level, budget-friendly smart ring, yeah, the Nova R is a good buy for the price.
What do you think of the Nova R Smart Ring, Nova R1, or other similar wearable rings? Share your views about them in the comment section below.
