Oura’s latest smart ring arrives with a clear trade-off: it is smaller, lighter, and more technically ambitious, but it also costs more and keeps the same subscription model. The company is pitching Oura Ring 5 as the smallest smart ring in the world, and it has cut the device’s size by 40% compared with Oura Ring 4.
That reduction is not just a cosmetic refresh. Oura rebuilt the ring’s internal layout from the ground up, changing the optical sensors, battery, sensor architecture, and mechanical design so the smaller body would not come at the expense of accuracy.
A slimmer ring with a different feel
Oura Ring 5 now measures 6.09 mm wide and 2.28 mm thick, with a starting weight of 2 grams. By comparison, Oura Ring 4 measured 7.99 mm wide, 2.88 mm thick, and started at 3.3 grams, making the newer model noticeably smaller on paper.
The ring is sold in sizes 6 through 13, and Oura gives it an IP68 rating with water resistance up to 100 meters. That keeps it positioned for all-day wear, including active use and regular exposure to water.
Sensor changes go deeper than the exterior
One of the most visible shifts is underneath the ring. Oura Ring 4 used a flat underside without sensor domes, while Ring 5 brings back low-profile domes in that area to improve skin contact.
Oura also added stronger LEDs in the same section to help make readings more consistent. Holly Shelton, Oura’s Chief Product Officer, described Ring 5 as the biggest leap in the company’s smart ring history, saying the team had to rethink the sensors, battery, geometry, and internal architecture to shrink the device without reducing accuracy.
Titanium remains, ceramic is gone
The material story is simpler this time. Oura Ring 5 is only available in titanium, which removes the ceramic option that appeared in Oura Ring 4.
That change reduces variety, but Oura says a new physical vapor deposition, or PVD, finish makes the titanium surface more resistant to scratches. The company appears to be addressing a known weakness, since the titanium finish on Oura Ring 4 was known to scratch easily.
Color choices are still broad. Oura Ring 5 comes in Silver, Black, Stealth, Brushed Silver, Gold, and Deep Rose, with Gold now described as lighter than before and Deep Rose carrying a copper-like tone.
The price climbs, and the subscription stays
The more compact design does not come cheaply. Oura has raised the price of the Black and Silver models to $399, up from $349 on Oura Ring 4.
Higher-end finishes remain priced at $499, including Gold, Stealth, Deep Rose, and Brushed Silver. Beyond the hardware cost, users still need to pay $6 per month or $70 per year in advance to unlock most health data and guidance.
New software tools are not limited to Ring 5
Oura is also rolling out several software additions alongside the hardware launch, but they are not exclusive to the newest ring. The updates are available on Oura Ring Gen 3 and later.
Blood Pressure Signals does not measure blood pressure directly. After setup with a blood pressure cuff, it can alert users to signs that point toward elevated blood pressure.
Nighttime Breathing adds a 30-day rolling view of sleep-related breathing disturbances, along with guidance explaining how those disruptions may affect sleep performance. Both features connect to Health Radar, which Oura developed from Symptom Radar.
Chief Medical Officer Ricky Bloomfield said Health Radar is designed to proactively combine patterns users would otherwise have to search for themselves, including blood pressure-related signals and breathing disturbances during sleep.
Oura is also adding support for GLP-1 medication tracking and management. That data can be combined with core Oura metrics such as sleep, readiness, and activity to give users a fuller view of how treatment may affect their condition.
Availability is still uneven at launch
Some of the new features will not be broadly available right away. At launch in early June, Blood Pressure Signals, Nighttime Breathing, and GLP-1 Insights are limited to the United States, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Oura also recommends using a fitting kit before choosing a size, even for existing users. The company says Ring 5’s smaller shape creates a different wearing sensation on the finger, and the kit is free when ordered through Oura’s official online store.
If the fitting kit is purchased separately for $10, that cost is credited toward the final ring purchase. Oura Ring 5 is already available for pre-order and is scheduled to begin shipping on June 4.
Source: www.androidpolice.com