23 hours ago
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Smart rings are no longer novel. A few hidden superpowers, however, might make them interesting again.
Most devices are increasingly focused on biometric tracking. The Aivela Ring Pro aims to stand out with stealth gesture and touch controls. With a stealth flick, swipe or slide of the finger, you can control music playback, adjust volume, trigger the camera, advance slide decks, scroll and more on your phone.
Launched at CES 2026, the Ring Pro resembles many of its competitors, including the Oura Ring and Samsung's Galaxy Ring. There's only so much you can do with ring design after all. It has the familiar metallic (scratch-resistant) finish, a slightly thicker top profile and sensors lining the interior. The primary visual cue indicating something different is a small diamond-shaped engraving at the center, which signals the location of the touchpad.
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According to the company, the Ring Pro supports eight touch commands and six gesture controls, designed to reduce the frequency of users needing to reach for their phone or smartwatch.
Health tracking, however, is still a core part of the experience. The Ring Pro focuses on long-term trend tracking, including sleep analysis, workout insights, menstrual cycle tracking and more than 13 core health metrics. The app also has a built-in AI advisor that allows you to discuss trends and metrics with a live AI expert. The ring is waterproof up to 100 meters with an IP68 rating, and rated for up to seven days of battery life.
The Ring Pro is launching on Kickstarter for $299, but is currently on sale for $179 for late pledge backers and already has more than 5,000 backers as of publish time. The company says there are currently no additional monthly costs tied to the app services, which is another advantage over competitors.
While we saw the ring on display on the CES show floor, we have yet to test its features, and it remains to be seen whether its gesture controls prove useful in everyday use.
On paper, at least, Aivela is giving the smart ring category a different spin, shifting it from passive health tracking toward more active control.
