The Ultrahuman Ring Air has become the first smart ring to include the ability to detect atrial fibrillation. The feature isn’t part of a simple software update either; it’s the headline feature in Ultrahuman’s new PowerPlugs app store for the smart ring, But as with a lot of modern health and fitness features, there’s a subscription involved.
Let’s talk about the feature first. Wear the Ultrahuman Ring Air, and it will monitor your heart rhythm and look for signs of irregularities — acting as an early warning system for problems that can sometimes lead to serious health concerns. Ultrahuman CEO Mohit Kumar called the feature a “lifesaving technology” and stated that it has been “medical approval in limited markets, and we’re aggressively launching new markets with regulator approval every few weeks.”
Digital Trends asked Ultrahuman which markets the feature will be available in. In an email, Kumar confirmed that the feature will launch first in the U.K., Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. He said availability in the U.S. and India is in the works and expected to launch in the next two to three months.
The Apple Watch recently received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a device to assess atrial fibrillation under its Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program. The Withings ScanWatch and Withings ScanWatch 2 also have FDA approval for atrial fibrillation detection, and both smartwatches feature an ECG. Other devices with an ECG feature can also monitor for AFib, but the feature may not have been submitted for FDA approval.
PowerPlugs and subscriptions
What about the PowerPlugs app store? Kumar is quoted as saying, “We built PowerPlugs for people to pick and choose what matters most for their health and wellness. Over the next few years, you could expect thousands of applications to be built on top of Ultrahuman’s comprehensive health data platform.”
There are several PowerPlugs available now, with features already seen in the Ultrahuman app, such as Caffeine Window tracking, Cycle tracking, and Circadian alignment. These are free add-ons, but unfortunately, the AFib detection PowerPlug has a subscription attached. It costs $4.90 per month, while a second feature called Cardio Adaptability costs $2.90 per month.
Looking toward the future, Ultrahuman has opened up its heart rate, accelerometer, and body temperature data streams to developers, allowing them to build other tools using its UltraSignal developer platform and make them available in the store. Expect to see apps for free and also more with costs attached.
The announcement of Ultrahuman’s AFib detection and app store comes soon after Oura launched its AI-powered assistant and Circular updated the Ring Slim, as smart ring makers all move to take on Samsung and the new Galaxy Ring.