Ultrahuman Thinks Its 18-karat Gold Smart Ring Is Worth $1,900

CES 2025 is officially underway, and nan adrenaline of a clip of moving astir Las Vegas is fading fast. Yet I cannot autumn asleep. Probably because I’ve been replaying nan aforesaid 3 merchandise teaser videos complete and complete and over. One opens pinch nan acquainted frenetic strains of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons violin concerto, panning to a CGI desert, wherever grains of ungraded rustle successful undulating wisps. The words “Rare by Ultrahuman” look connected a stark achromatic background. Then, from nan depths of a CGI dune, emerges a smart ring.

The different 2 videos are c copies, isolated from successful one, nan godforsaken is simply a aureate pink. In nan other, a wintry silver.

I cheque nan spot release. The rings scope from £1500 to £1800. I instantly propulsion up Google. That’s astir $1,900 to $2,200. I rack my brain. The astir costly smart ringing I tin retrieve is Oura’s collaboration pinch Gucci, which I described successful my writeup arsenic an eye-watering $950. I double-check that my tired encephalon hasn’t goofed nan conversion. It hasn’t. My oculus twitches.

Rare, nan Ultrahuman spot merchandise says, is meant to beryllium a luxury smart ring. It will recreation successful 3 colors: godforsaken rose, dune, and godforsaken snow. Or, you know, roseate gold, gold, and silver. They are apparently thusly named because nan postulation “captures nan rule of nature’s astir captivating phenomena. From nan intricate fluid elegance of wind-sculpted dunes, each information embodies nan harmonious blend of beauty and resilience recovered successful these arid landscapes.”

The godforsaken roseate and dune rings are made of 18-karat aureate “sourced from London Bullion Market Association.” These will costs $1,900. Meanwhile, nan godforsaken snowfall ringing is “meticulously crafted from pt950 platinum, a metallic of exceptional purity and prestige.” It will costs $2,200. While I deliberation of really that’s astir my monthly beryllium payment, I publication overmuch purple prose astir nan symbolism of harmony betwixt value and technology, nan wind’s gentle caress of a dune, and nan rarity of snowfall blanketing nan desert.

I squint astatine nan spot renders of these rings. They look for illustration mean smart rings.

Spec-wise, Rare is nan aforesaid arsenic nan Ultrahuman Ring Air. The Ultrahuman Ring Air is simply a awesome smart ringing and came this adjacent to beating nan Oura Ring successful my smart ringing conflict royale past year. That ringing costs $350 — a standard, reasonable worth for a smart ring. The Rare bid is astir 5 to six times that price. According to Ultrahuman, this is nan worth of nan artisanal craftsmanship and analyzable engineering — and a life rank to UltrahumanX, nan smart ringing maker’s extended warranty subscription. You too get entree to each of Ultrahuman’s PowerPlugs, features that you bargain a la carte connected Ultrahuman’s level specified arsenic play tracking, vitamin D tracking, and smart alarms. That includes immoderate early PowerPlugs. Is that worthy $1,900 to $2,200?

I spell backmost to my inbox and reread nan FAQ Ultrahuman sent maine for nan billionth time. Under nan question, “Is location petition for this” and “who is nan target buyer?” there’s an impassioned plea. People personification been utilizing nan Ultrahuman Ring Air — which I vehemently support is simply a awesome smart ringing — for engagements and gifts for loved ones. Rare, nan FAQ says, is simply a earthy betterment toward jewelry becoming smart for illustration everything else. The cleanable buyer? “Rare speaks to those who activity exclusivity and intent successful nan choices they make.”

The overmuch I read, nan overmuch this feels for illustration a fever-dream proscription from Jony Ive, because it’s nan aforesaid doomed onslaught Apple took for its Watch Edition.

I don’t cognize what clip is anymore, but I look astatine nan Oura Ring 4 successful brushed metallic connected my finger. Then I look astatine nan godforsaken snowfall ringing render connected my laptop screen. My eyes dart backmost and distant respective times. Hm. Hmm.

At immoderate point, I don’t cognize when, I admit I personification spell The Verge’s very ain Gollum. I americium sleep-deprived, acheronian circles forming nether my eyes. My reflection successful nan edifice reflector arsenic I drawback immoderate h2o scares me. But I tin deliberation of point else. We must spot our precious $2,000 smart rings successful person. Yes. We wants it. We must activity it connected nan show level because Rare will only motorboat successful London and Paris astatine “select premium portion locations” to start. Yes, we must spot this, we must consciousness it connected our digit if only to reply nan 1 burning question: what would make a $2,000 smart ringing worthy it?