Evie’s smart ring is “designed for women” and aimed at challenging Oura
Movano Health's Evie smart ring will offer insights into your heart and menstrual health for less than $300 and without the need for a monthly subscription.
In a clear shot across the bow at Oura and wearable makers at large, Movano Health has announced Evie, a smart ring “designed uniquely for women,” ahead of planned demos at CES 2023 next week.
The health tech company previously introduced its take on a smart ring at CES 2022, but Evie represents the complete idea: special attention paid towards menstrual health, a sub-$300 price tag, a promise of FDA-approved “medical grade” data, and no monthly subscription fee.
Judging by the look of the ring and the health metrics Movano designed Evie to track, it’s clear the company views the Oura ring as its main competitor. Let’s dive into the specifics.
Evie
The Evie ring looks a bit like the Oura ring but with a gap to make it more comfortable to wear.
The Evie ring can track “resting heart rate, heart rate variability, SpO2, respiration rate, skin temperature variability” and can offer insights into a wearer’s menstrual cycle, according to Movano. The set of features sounds similar to what Oura currently tracks and what Apple has started dabbling in now that the Apple Watch Series 8 has a skin temperature sensor.
Movano hopes to differentiate itself by seeking FDA clearance for Evie, making it “the first consumer wearable that is also a medical device.” With clearance, Movano and the Evie app can offer more guidance and theoretically make claims other wearable devices can’t. “Folding SpO2 and Respiration Rate into a clearance could allow us to tell users if they’re getting sick,” Movano offers as an example. Like other screenless wearables, the information Evie collects will be delivered via app, though, unlike Oura, deeper insights won’t require a subscription.
Is this too focused?
Everything Evie collects will be available to view in its companion app.
The tricky thing about targeting a wearable for women but focusing specifically on menstruation and ovulation is that women aren’t the only people who menstruate. It’s why, while the Oura ring can do period prediction, all its marketing and in-app writing never get more specific than “people who menstruate.” You don’t want to leave anyone out. There are plenty of other ways Evie can be “for women” that aren’t biological, but it’s worth stating upfront that menstruation tracking shouldn’t be the main one.
The Evie ring will launch in 2023 in the U.S. for a yet-to-be-disclosed price under $300. Working with the government being what it is, that might be as a wellness device rather than a medical one.
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