I wore the Pebble Iris smart ring and now I know how it’s better than a smartwatch  | Technology News

Setup is really easy and surprisingly I had no issues doing it on iOS also. But finding the app by search will be difficult as it is not a Pebble app but an Aizo Ring app which has the ring of something with Chinese origins. Anyway, the app finds your ring and pairs the phone with it. This is critical because without the app a device like this has no use as it does not have any display or features of its own.

The device offers a seamless setup process and a user-friendly companion app that provides detailed insights into your health data. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

The ring itself is not complicated. Yes, it is larger and gives out some punk vibes, but then I am at an age where people will not really care what I do. Inside the ring, you can see the Pebble brand embossed, a small charging node, and sensors. At times the sensors light up in red. On the outside of the ring is a small black patch that you can use to control your phone.

I wore the ring for a few days without taking it out. After wearing it to bed I realised that this is a much more comfortable way to track sleep than wearing a band or watch. I felt that wearing this for long hours was not tiring at all. Even while working out and sweating, the ring is not affected, just ensure you have the right size. The only problem I had was that it could come in the way of some work, like clanking on the aluminium body of the MacBook while typing. But you will figure out how to avoid this soon enough.

Now, as I said, the ring is all about the app. And the Aizo Ring app is quite decent with the data it pulls and the analysis it does on that data. The ring gives you heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature almost perpetually. For the steps, this hit me when I saw the steps on the ring were much more than on the Apple Watch. Even if you don’t realise it, the ring is collecting data all the time — I rarely use the Apple Watch all the time. The step data is pretty accurate and so are the heart rate and blood oxygen levels when compared to the Apple Watch.

The Pebble Iris Smart Ring boasts a minimalist design that effortlessly complements any style or accessory. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

The app also gives an indication of your fitness levels based on the data and pushes you to become more active or even slow down a bit. In the app, you can also set up the smart touch applications for the ring using the black patch that I mentioned earlier. Now, this did not work well for me on iOS.

There were times when some scrolls were registered, but this was just once in a while. On Android, this worked better and I could use it to scroll pages and slides, swipe through YouTube Shorts and Reels as well as control the music player. There is also the option to alert an SOS contact with a long press of the patch. However, the smart touch is one aspect Pebble will have to fine-tune a bit more for customer satisfaction.

One charge lasts about 3-4 days and that is pretty good considering the size of this ring. The magnetic charger is simple to connect and easy to maintain but ensures you don’t lose it.

At Rs 5,999, the Pebble Iris Smart Ring is an interesting product for the tech-savvy to keep tabs on their fitness without the device getting in their way. The smart touch features are evolving and are a novelty at the moment. I would recommend this for those who need to quantify their daily activities without a break.