Two smart ring brands will no longer be available for American shoppers

The smart ring market in the US has just become slimmer. Today Oura, maker of the Oura Ring, won a decisive legal battle that blocks two of his greatest rivals, Ultrahuman and Ringconn, by selling their devices. The International Trade Commission (ITC) showed that both companies infringed on the patents of ONA and became exclusion and orders of cease and elaboration.

Oura already leads the American smart ring market with a wide margin. The company has sent more than 2.5 million devices worldwide and remains the most recognizable brand in the category. Ultrahuman and Ringconn recently offered some competition, which buyers with lower prices and various hardware designs have attractive. We even have the Ringconn Gen Air 2 the best Budget Smart Ring available and called a valuable challenge for the Oura Ring. With the ITC pronunciation, the variety of the market disappears at night.

With Ultrahuman and Ringconn on the side, American buyers now have even fewer options. The recently launched Galaxy Ring from Samsung adds the weight to the category, but the victory of Oura means that smaller startups are confronted with a heavy battle to cut out the space in the US. Patent disputes are nothing new in consumer technology, but they have real consequences. For shoppers this means fewer choices, less price competition and possibly slower innovation. For Oura it is an opportunity to hold the dominant position, while Samsung and others try to catch up.

The ITC pronunciation knew the field a bit for Oura in the US. Shoppers who are interested in a smart ring will find fewer brands on the market, at least for the near future. For consumers who value competition and variation, that is a loss. For Oura it is a decisive victory that strengthens its grip on the space that it has helped create.