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ZDNET Highlights
- RingCon smart rings can still be purchased in the US.
- The rings were scheduled to be removed from the market on October 21.
- The company secured a licensing agreement with Ora.
Earlier this year, Ora won a patent dispute between two competitors in the smart ring market, Ultrahuman and Ringcon. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that both brands infringed Ora’s form factor patents, and issued cease-and-desist orders for Ultrahuman and Ringcon.
The cease-fire order was scheduled to take effect on 21 October. However, thanks to a licensing agreement with Ora, RingCon smart rings have deferred orders and can be sold in the US. The same can’t be said for another smart ring company, Ultrahuman, which was found to be infringing on Ora’s patent.
Also: Two subscription-free smart rings have just been banned in the US — here’s what comes next
The two smart rings are subscription-free, affordable alternatives to Oura’s $350 smart ring (which requires a $70 annual subscription to unlock full data access).
Starting October 21, Ultrahuman smart rings will no longer be imported or sold in the US. Ultrahuman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Too: I tested this Ora Ring 4 alternative which works similarly (with no subscription)
Oura and Ringcon announced a comprehensive settlement and patent licensing agreement on Tuesday. Ora also signed a multi-year patent licensing agreement with lesser-known smart ring brand Omate.
RingCon will continue to be sold on Amazon and in the US and the company will now pay royalties to Ora. Omate will have the opportunity to access Ora’s patent portfolio to develop future smart rings in line with Ora’s own patents.
Earlier this year, the ITC found that both Ultrahuman and Ringcon participated in “dishonest tactics” to develop their own smart rings, Ora said in a blog post.
Now that Ultrahuman’s cease and desist order has gone into effect, some features of its smart ring may be disabled, or the brand may have to redesign the form factor of its Ultrahuman Ring Air.
Also: I’ve tested the Apple Watch, Ora Ring, and other sleep trackers — 5 tips to get the best results
In an earlier interview with ZDNET about the patent dispute, UltraHuman CEO Mohit Kumar said that the company is working on a new smart ring and will continue operating its Texas manufacturing factory.
“Of course it was a way to slow down competition, but we don’t care about that,” Kumar told ZDNET. “We’ve been here a long time.”
