RingConn Gen 2 brings sleep apnea monitoring to the smart ring

Packing a ton of sensors while keeping the device lightweight is one thing — but are those sensors actually accurate? I put every metric to the test for over a week. I slept with the ring, worked out with the ring, and watched a lot of “House of the Dragon” with the ring. At the same time, I also wore my Apple Watch, which I’ve reliably used for years. Comparing the data, including heart rate, sleep states, and calories burned, I was able to see that both devices gave me essentially the same measurements.

For example, both devices (and their companion apps) divided each night of sleep into four sleep stages: awake, REM, deep sleep, and deep sleep, showing me exactly how much—and when—I was in each stage. According to the RingConn Gen 2 and Apple Watch, I was able to reach deep sleep four times between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. That means either the RingConn Gen 2 was reading my sleep accurately, or both devices were somehow accidentally giving me the exact same incorrect measurements, which is highly unlikely.

Jack Picone/SlashGear

Using this testing method, I wasn’t able to compare skin temperature measurements — because the Apple Watch doesn’t provide them. It also doesn’t give me easy-to-track sleep scores, activity levels, or stress management, like the RingConn does. What’s more, I was finally able to measure my sleep for signs of sleep apnea, something the Apple Watch simply can’t do. While both devices measured similar data and gave me similar results, the RingConn app presents it in a cleaner interface that’s easier to read. I was able to quickly scroll through my night’s data and check my heart rate, heart rate variability, and other metrics.

Looking back on the night when both devices told me I had four stages of deep sleep, I also appreciated that the RingConn app told me whether or not each metric was within the norm and gave me an overview, as well as some quick tips. (Since I was within the norm that night, the app simply told me, “Keep it up!”) It also gave me an overall rating — I got a respectable “79” that night and was told that my awake time rate (19%) was “improvable.” It’s also really great that I can easily adjust the settings so that the app displays the metrics in the order I prefer. Between writing tech reviews and having a four-year-old son, I rarely get the chance to nap — so I moved the nap data to the very bottom of my metrics so I don’t have to waste time scrolling through them every time I check my sleep stats.

Jack Picone/SlashGear

Of course, there’s no display on the smart ring. Instead, you get all the data it measures via the RingConn app. I’m always wary of buying a new device, because setting it up — especially installing the necessary software and pairing it with my smartphone — inevitably leads to some hassle or headaches. But the RingConn Gen 2 was up and running within two minutes of unboxing. Setup and pairing were almost instantaneous, thanks in part to the very simple and clear instructions that came with the device.