Muse Ring One begins shipping but falls short of expectations

After months of delays, Muse Wearables has finally begun shipping its Muse Ring One to backers in India. It seems – the device, which garnered attention for its promise of innovative features, has made an underwhelming debut.

All of this is an interesting story that we have been following for over a year now, as there are lots of frustrated backers leaving comments across social media. Quite a few delays, and communication from the company which leaves much to be desired.

The good news is that it seems the product has finally reached a few backers. The bad news is that early adopters have reported several critical omissions. We are yet to learn when there will be a wider rollout of the device, but early 2025 has been mentioned.

Turn-wheel replaced by gesture control

For starters – one of the ring’s most hyped features, the turn wheel interface, is absent in the final product. The idea was to enable seamless switching between workout and payment modes, adding an element of tactile interaction not seen before on a smart ring. Muse Wearables notes that there were issues with accuracy, hence the feature was removed. Interestingly, those who have received the product note that the packaging materials still reference the turn-wheel. This suggests that the decision to remove it may have been a last minute one.

Muse has clarified that payment functionality will instead be activated by tapping the index finger and thumb together twice. While innovative in its own way, this change has left some backers disappointed.

Doubts about haptic feedback

Adding to the uncertainty is the question of haptic feedback. During a recent event for Indian backers, Muse representatives acknowledged that the durability of the vibration motor remains unclear. This feature, uncommon in smart rings due to space constraints, was another element that set the Muse Ring One apart. If removed, it would be another significant compromise on the ring’s original vision.

Payment and health features delayed

As of now, the ring’s NFC payment feature is non-functional, with the company promising an update to enable this in the future. More critically, two of the ring’s health features—blood oxygen tracking and blood pressure monitoring—are also unavailable at launch.

While blood oxygen measurement is fairly standard in smart rings, the promised ability to monitor blood pressure had the potential to be a standout feature. No smart ring on the market currently offers this. But considering all the other issues with the device – we are not optimistic that this will happen. And if it does – that the measurements will be accurate. Let’s hope we are wrong.

Early impressions are lukewarm

With so many promised features either missing or delayed, the Muse Ring One currently offers little to distinguish itself from the pack. Its early adopters are left wondering whether the ring will ever deliver on its more ambitious promises, particularly its blood pressure tracking. Some, that have been frustrated with the delays, have switched over to other options such as RingConn and Ultrahuman Ring Air.

Muse Wearables now faces the challenge of rebuilding trust with its backers. Whether through updates, added features, or improved transparency, the company will need to demonstrate that the Muse Ring One can still fulfill its potential. For now, the ring’s early reception suggests it has a long way to go.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!