Most of the wearable computers we've seen so far have been unabashedly masculine. Okay, to be fair, women can enjoy Google Glass or a Gear 2 smartwatch just as easily a man can (and I know some awesome women who do). But I'd also bet that most buyers of these beefy and utilitarian devices have been geeky, early-adopting men. Ringly, on the other hand, is the rare wearable that's being marketed solely to women.
Ringly is what you'd call a smart ring. You know how most of the early smartwatches vibrate your wrist when your phone gets a new notification? And a few of them even have custom vibration patterns that let you know what kind of notification is coming in? Well, Ringly takes that concept and puts it into a ring.
Unlike most smartwatches and smart glasses, Ringly looks pretty inconspicuous. Though it's thicker than your typical women's ring, you'd have to look pretty closely at this puppy to notice that it's anything other than a standard piece of jewelry. Ringly's band is made with 18 carat gold-plated brass, with a big honkin' "precious or semi-precious gemstone" sitting front and center. Another tiny gemstone on the side lights up when you receive an alert. Ringly's generic description of the stones suggests that buyers' money will be going more towards the technology inside than the jewels on the outside, but I suppose that's to be expected.
While smartwatches have been buzzing early adopters' wrists for the last year or two, allowing them to leave their phones in their pockets, this concept might make even more sense with Ringly's women-focused marketing. Some women leave their phones in their purses, rather than pockets (my wife, for example, does), so it's even easier to miss calls or messages. With Ringly connected wirelessly to that purse-laden phone (via Bluetooth Low Energy), it will let you know when new notifications come in. And the customizable vibration patterns can also tell you who is calling or texting.
Ringly is water resistant, though the company says it's only designed for things like washing hands (in other words, you won't want to take a bath or go swimming with Ringly). The company says that the ring's battery will last two days on a charge. That isn't exactly amazing for a wearable device (the Pebble watch and most fitness trackers, for example, last around a week), but, on the other hand, a ring only has so much room for a battery.
Ringly will be available in three sizes (6, 7 and 8) and four color options (Stargaze, Wine Bar, Daydream and Into the Woods). And as long as your iPhone or Android phone has Bluetooth LE built-in (while running at least iOS 7 or Android 4.3), then it will play nicely with Ringly.
If Ringly floats your boat, then you can pre-order one now for US$145 or $180 (the price varies depending on which color you choose). When it launches this Northern hemisphere Fall, that retail price will jump to $195 or $260. You can check out the video and product page below for more.
Product page: Ringly
