After the launch of the Oura Ring 4 last October, which introduced enhanced blood oxygen and heart rate tracking capabilities, the company has now revealed plans to implement further algorithm upgrades aimed at improving movement tracking precision.
Initially announced last month, these updates are currently being deployed to users worldwide. Among the enhancements is the introduction of a step-counting algorithm known as Real Steps, which will enable the Oura Ring to function more effectively as a pedometer. This advanced machine-learning model will now provide a more accurate count of steps by determining actual movement related to walking, although users might experience a reduction in their reported step count by up to 20 percent due to this refinement.
The estimates of active calorie burn will also be revised to incorporate the intensity of movements measured through heart rate data. Consequently, users could notice increased calorie burn estimates during high-intensity workouts, while experiencing lower figures during less vigorous activities like walking or yoga, where heart rates tend not to spike.
Late-night activities, such as dancing until dawn, will now be tracked and accounted for.
In a bid to improve its all-day activity tracking, the wearable will also extend its monitoring capabilities into the nighttime hours of 12AM to 4AM, ensuring that late-night activities such as dancing are recorded. Users will also have the option to edit or add workouts from the past week in the Oura app, with corresponding adjustments made to their Readiness and Activity Scores.
Further enhancements include the addition of new fitness metrics to the Oura Ring’s Automatic Activity Detection feature, such as running splits that utilize GPS data from a paired smartphone. Additionally, heart rate readings will now be included when syncing activity data from third-party fitness apps like Apple Health, Strava, and Android Health Connect.
Alongside these improvements, Oura has also unveiled new partnerships with CorePower Yoga, The Sculpt Society, Technogym, and Open. These collaborations will enable tailored training and recovery suggestions based on individual users’ Oura Readiness Score and various biometric data gathered by the smart ring, including sleep, stress levels, calorie counts, and heart rate variability.
