Circular unveils Ring 3 Pro and Slim at IFA, featuring contactless payment options and haptic notifications.

      Circular has unveiled the Ring 3 Pro and Ring 3 Slim at IFA in Berlin, introducing features like contactless payments and haptic alerts, though no pricing or release date has been specified. The Pro model includes an electrocardiogram and atrial fibrillation detection, which the company claims is FDA-cleared, but EU medical device regulations require a distinct conformity assessment that American clearance does not cover.

      At IFA in Berlin, Circular introduced two new smart rings: the Ring 3 Pro and Ring 3 Slim, both of which feature contactless payments and haptic alerts, according to CNET.

      Currently, there is no pricing information or release date available. The company indicates that both rings will be launched in the coming months, along with details about preorders. It has not clarified whether either ring will be available in Europe first.

      The Pro model includes medical functionalities, featuring an electrocardiogram and atrial fibrillation detection, which the company states has been cleared by the FDA. In contrast, the Slim model lacks these features.

      However, the FDA clearance is recognized in the U.S. and does not apply generally in Europe, where the distinctions are significant. Europe has its own regulatory process; under the Medical Device Regulation, an ECG used for arrhythmia detection is classified as a medical device and requires a CE mark.

      The intended use determines classification rather than merely the underlying technology. How the manufacturer categorizes the feature influences the classification, including aspects like marketing and user interface. FDA authorization does not factor into this determination. TNW reported on the FDA-cleared sensor in a previous ring, but no CE marking claims have emerged since then.

      The more general health metrics raise similar concerns. Trends related to blood pressure and glucose are presented as wellness features rather than diagnostic tools, but in Europe, the line between these classifications is more rigid than in the U.S. If a feature suggests the monitoring of a condition, simply labeling it as wellness does not clarify its classification.

      In terms of hardware, the designs are fairly standard—with titanium used for the Pro and coated resin for the Slim—boasting battery life of up to 12 days for the Pro and 10 days for the Slim. The Slim measures 5.9mm in width and 2.35mm in thickness, comparable to Oura’s smallest ring.

      The commercial landscape is more complex than the initial launch may indicate. Oura collects royalties on each sale of Circular products in the U.S. due to a patent agreement, as reported by TNW.

      Circular emphasizes a subscription-free model, including the Kira AI companion, although some advanced medical features appear in the app labeled as “limited time.”

      This raises unanswered questions regarding its status in Europe. A French company has introduced a medical feature in Berlin based on American clearance, yet its European status remains unspecified.