Casio is taking its tiny Ring Watch much more seriously, turning the novelty-sized timepiece into a proper health tracker that could give established smart rings some new competition.
The new CRW-H001 can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels and body temperature, along with sleep, steps, calories and exercise. It also offers health reports, training analysis and menstrual cycle tracking.
Unlike most smart rings, though, Casio has squeezed an actual watch onto your finger. A small digital display shows the time, date and a second time zone, and there is also a stopwatch and white LED light. The retro styling keeps it looking more like a shrunken Casio than a typical health tracker.
Vibration alerts bring some smartwatch-style features to the ring. Calls, messages, alarms and health alerts can all trigger notifications, with everything connecting through the AIZO RING app on iOS or Android.
The CRW-H001 is made from stainless steel and ceramic and weighs 19g. Its main section measures just 25.3 x 19.5 x 6mm, and Casio offers three fixed ring sizes with no size adjustment.
Battery life works a little differently because the watch and smart functions use separate power systems. The rechargeable health-tracking module is rated for around four to six days, with standby stretching to roughly 25 days. Meanwhile, the LCD watch portion uses a separate battery designed to last about two years.
There is one major catch if you already want one. Casio currently sells the CRW-H001 only in China for 1,990 yuan, and after-sales support is limited to the country as well.
Casio has not announced a wider release, so Oura does not have new competition everywhere just yet. Even so, turning the Ring Watch into a full health wearable makes this a much more capable device than the miniature Casios that came before it.