Review Boat Smart Ring Gen-1: Perfect alternative to smartwatches, fitness bands 

A significant leap beyond conventional fitness bands and smartwatches, smart rings offer a streamlined interface while simultaneously providing real-time tracking for a wide array of activities. Boat, a prominent player in the Indian wearable industry, has forayed into this innovative category with a sleek and premium smart ring priced at Rs 8,999. The pivotal question, however, is whether it justifies its price tag. 

Premium Design: The Boat smart ring boasts an exquisite blend of ceramic and metal, discreetly housing multiple sensors, with only a handful visible along the inner circumference of the ring. But it isn’t the slimmest smart ring on the market. Initially, the ring's thickness posed a minor inconvenience, prompting me to occasionally shift it between my fingers. However, after wearing it for a couple of days, I gradually acclimated to the ring's form. Unlike traditional rings, which tend to be more slender, this ring features a considerable thickness that occasionally results in gaps between my fingers.

Consequently, I found myself frequently removing the ring for short intervals. Retrieving it within my home often proved to be a challenge. Perhaps, Boat should contemplate integrating a 'Find my Ring' feature. 

The ring is impressively rated at 5ATM for water resistance, and I put it to the test by wearing it non-stop for several days, subjecting it to extensive water exposure, which included bathing and tending to my terrace garden. Another remarkable aspect of its metal finish is its remarkable resistance to scratches. Even after a week of continuous usage, the ring remained devoid of any visible blemishes. 

Pairing: To initiate the setup process, the ring necessitates pairing with its companion app. A few simple prompts within the app swiftly facilitated the pairing. Since the ring lacks a display screen, this app becomes an essential tool for accessing all the data, as I'll delve into further details later on.  

Companion App: Following successful pairing, the companion app serves as the gateway to access all the statistics recorded by the ring. The app's user interface demonstrated a high level of intuitiveness, featuring four primary tabs - status, sleep, fitness, and control. Delving deeper into these tabs reveals data presented in the form of charts and suggestions, making it easy to interpret and comprehend. 

Status: The status tab presents an overall health score, which is calculated based on the previous day's sleep quality and the number of calories burnt. Just below the score, the app displays key health metrics, including heart rate, SPO2 levels, and body temperature. 

Sleep: The sleep tab provides a comprehensive breakdown of the total sleep duration, further categorized into deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and awake periods. Additionally, it displays the resting heart rate during sleep and more. The data collected by the ring proved to be accurate and was presented in a highly organized format, making it easy to comprehend. Moreover, the app assigns a holistic assessment score, with my score consistently ranging between 85 to 90, which was rated as "good" and accompanied by a smiling icon. 

Fitness: The fitness tab presents an array of numerical data and rings, reminiscent of those found on the Apple Watch. It showcases today's recorded steps, distance covered, and calories burned. The app does not record workout sessions automatically. I had to select the workout – for instance, outdoor walk – and hit the start button, and stop it once complete. Tapping on a specific workout provides detailed statistics, including workout duration, step count, calorie expenditure, average speed, sports pace, and more. Once again, the app offers a comprehensive assessment score, which, in my case, was a rather modest 65, accompanied by a surprised emoticon. It's important to note that if the ring becomes unpaired from the smartphone for any reason, the data is not backed up on the cloud.  

Control: Notably, in addition to activity tracking and statistics, the ring can also serve as an interface for a limited set of tasks, highlighted within a subtle red line on its surface. For instance, a long press in this area allows you to play or pause music, while sliding your finger up and down facilitates changing songs. Within the control tab, you can choose from a list of functions, which include short videos, reading, photography, slide changes, and music control. However, it's important to note that only one feature can be enabled at a time. For the photo function, a long press on the ring can be used to capture images, which is most convenient when wearing the ring on the index finger. 

Battery: The ring comes with a proprietary charging dock that can be easily connected to any USB-A adapter or a laptop, requiring approximately 90-100 minutes for a complete charge. A single charge on the ring provided me with about 4 days of usage, which is quite satisfactory. Since the ring lacks a screen, the sole method for checking the battery status is through the companion app. 

Verdict: If you're not a fan of smartwatches or fitness bands, the Boat Smart Ring is an excellent option for monitoring your sleep patterns, workouts, heart rate, and more. The comprehensive assessments it provides can serve as a motivating factor to improve your overall health. Priced at Rs 8,999, this smart ring represents an impressive piece of hardware. 

Also read: Noise Luna Ring Review: A Stylish and Effective Smart Ring for Health Enthusiasts

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