Take a read through our Oura Ring 4 review and you'll see there's a lot to like about the smart ring that launched in October 2024: we described it as being "nearly the perfect fitness tracker", while praising its battery life, tracking capabilities, and design.
However, the high score attached to that review — 4.5 stars out of 5 — doesn't mean that the Oura Ring 4 can't be improved upon, and we've got some ideas about the kind of updates that might make the rumored fifth generation model a worthwhile upgrade.
Oura Ring 5: leaks and rumors
There's nothing official out there about the Oura Ring 5 yet, but we have an inkling that Oura is working on a new model of its smart ring. We got the company's 3rd-gen device in October 2021 and the 4th-gen wearable in October 2024, so it makes sense that we might see something new later in 2026. The team at Gadgets & Wearables notes that another Oura device has already been registered with US regulators.
While there are only so many ways that a smart ring can be designed, the Oura Ring 5 renders leaked by Android Headlines suggest that not much is going to change in terms of aesthetics — and the 5th-gen ring is apparently going to come with the same charging accessories as well.
What might be different are the colors: the same source predicts that the current Rose Gold color is going to be replaced by Deep Rose. The existing matte black, standard gold, and silver options are expected to be retained, with the silver one apparently going to be available in both a glossy and brushed option.
Other details are rather thin on the ground, though Android Headlines does say that the battery life on the Oura Ring 5 will be more or less the same as on the current model (so around six days, based on our testing). There will be improvements in sensors and health tracking, the report says, though we don't get any details.
More clues about what to expect come from Android Central, which points to patents Oura has registered for modular add-ons, GPS tracking, haptic feedback, and smart gesture support. As always with patents though, they're not always guaranteed to be turned into actual features, even if the company concerned is exploring a certain technology.
It looks as though the Oura Ring 5 will offer an evolution of what we've got with the Oura Ring 4 based on these leaks and rumors, rather than something radically different — though perhaps with some surprises still to come in terms of software, sensors, and fitness tracking capabilities.
Oura Ring 5: what we want to see
At this point it's probably too late in the development of the product to convince the Oura engineers to include features that have or haven't already been locked in, but it's still worth talking about what we'd like to see from the upcoming smart ring — if only to have a list to refer back to when it does arrive.
A slimmer design
You couldn't claim the Oura Ring 4 is bulky, exactly, but there is some room for improvement here, especially when it comes to the larger ceramic version of the wearable. The standard Oura Ring 4 is 2.88 mm thick, while the ceramic version bumps that up to 3.51 mm (and it's heavier too).
The RingConn Gen 2 is a mere 2 mm thick, while the Samsung Galaxy Ring is 2.6 mm, so it's an area where Oura is currently being beaten by its competitors.
Size and weight is so important for a wearable like this, which you're expected to have on around the clock, and Oura might be able to get the new ring fractionally smaller.
A lower price
The starting price for an Oura Ring 4 is $349 / £349 / AU$569, which doesn't compare too badly with the $399 / £399 / AU$699 you pay for the Samsung Galaxy Ring or the $299 / £269 / AU$269 starting price of the Amazfit Helio Ring. However, there's scope for Oura to go cheaper with the Ring 5, especially when you consider the compulsory subscription.
An Oura subscription isn't an optional extra: It's necessary to use your device, and will set you back $5.99 (about £4.40 / AU$8.30) a month. Realistically, Oura isn't going to do away with that steady income stream from its users, but given that commitment, it would be nice to see the up-front price of the next smart ring drop.
A silicon sleeve
The Oura Ring 4 is great for many things, but it's not ideal for activities like racket sports or weight training: the risk of damage to the device or to your own body goes up, whenever you're doing any kind of gripping or holding with your hands, and that's not something you want to have to worry about.
One of the third-party fixes for this, especially when it comes to gym work, is a silicon sleeve to wear over the Oura wearable. If one of these were to be included in the box with the Oura Ring 5, that would save on extra cost for the user (see above), and mean that the device would be more useful right away — without any accessories.
We'll have to wait and see if the team at Oura has been thinking along similar lines since the launch of the Oura Ring 4, but we'll let you know as soon as there's anything official on a new product (a product that's very likely to break into our best smart rings list).