Muse Ring One begins shipping but not with the promised feature-set

After a lengthy delay, Muse Wearables has started shipping its Muse Ring One to international backers. The device, which drew attention for its ambitious feature set, appears to be landing with less impact than expected.

It’s a story we’ve been tracking for nearly two years. Frustrated backers have filled comment sections across social platforms, pointing to repeated delays and patchy communication from the company.

This time, though, it looks like the ring is finally reaching people outside of India. Previous announcements about shipping never materialised into actual deliveries abroad. But now there are unboxing videos from backers in the UK and a few other regions, suggesting units are genuinely starting to land.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that not all advertised features made it to the final product.

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.

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, 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. We will need to wait for some reviews to come in to see if this is another 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.

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. For now, the ring’s early reception suggests it has a long way to go.

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