Fresh FCC documents bring new hardware clues

An interesting detail in the FCC filing, submitted under FCC ID 2AD7V-OURA2602 and published April 8, 2026, is the appearance of two distinct model references, with the ring listed as OA13 and the charger as OA14. The documents also mention a commercial sample ring in size 13, which is a useful clue because language like that usually points to production-like hardware rather than an early engineering prototype.

The filing further references a dedicated square charging dock, broadly similar in form to the current Oura Ring 4 accessory. While the overall design and wireless charging technology appear familiar, the separate model identifiers suggest Oura is certifying updated hardware rather than simply refreshing paperwork for an existing product.

The timeline now looks much closer

The earlier leak suggested a late 2027 launch window for the Gen 5 device, which felt like a reasonable read then. The FCC documents now include a marked 180-day confidentiality request, which pushes the outer deadline for currently hidden materials such as internal photos and the user manual to early September 2026.

That does not automatically mean a launch in September. In practice, companies often release products before the confidentiality period expires, using that date more as a backstop.

All this means the earlier 2027 timeline now looks less likely. A launch in late summer or early autumn 2026 feels like the stronger reading based on the paperwork.

Could this still be a different ring?

Of course, there’s an important caveat.

It is worth keeping in mind because the naming remains unconfirmed. While it is tempting to connect this directly to the earlier Oura Ring 5 leak, the FCC documents don’t specify the name of the device.

All we can say with confidence is that Oura has a new smart ring in late-stage certification. Which leaves open two realistic possibilities. The first is that this may indeed be the device shown in the earlier leaked images and widely referred to as Oura Ring 5. But it could also be another future model, a revised version or a regional variant that has not yet been publicly identified.

Our takeaway

Regardless, the new FCC filing adds more substance to the earlier Oura Ring 5 leak and moves it beyond pure speculation territory. It gives the original report something much more solid to build on, namely new hardware identifiers, a refreshed charger design and a launch window that now looks far closer than the previously suggested 2027 timeline.

At the same time, the paperwork does not confirm the final product name, so it is still not possible to say with certainty that this is the device shown in the earlier leaked images. What the filing does make clear is that Oura has new ring hardware in late-stage certification.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: FCC

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The filing has gone unnoticed and we just spotted it today. But it was published on February 19th.

Its wording is unusually specific. And importantly, this kind of tracking would require dedicated sensors capable of measuring muscle oxygen levels. That suggests Garmin may be preparing new hardware alongside the software feature.

Muscle oxygen, or SmO2, is still a fairly niche metric in wearables. Right now it is mostly tracked by specialist sports sensors like the Moxy Monitor, rather than mainstream smartwatches, so if Garmin brings it to a consumer device it would be a pretty interesting move.

A natural extension of Body Battery

The name Muscle Battery feels instantly familiar. Garmin users already know Body Battery as one of the platform’s best-known features, giving an easy-to-understand view of overall energy levels based on stress, sleep and recovery signals.

Rather than looking at full-body readiness, Muscle Battery is more targeted. In practical terms, it could help runners, cyclists and strength athletes understand how well specific muscle groups are recovering after hard sessions.

That would make it especially useful for interval work, long runs, leg-heavy gym sessions or back-to-back training days. This is where muscular fatigue often outlasts general cardiovascular recovery.

Here’s how it’s described in the filing.

A feature of computer software that captures, processes, and analyzes muscle oxygen saturation or related sports performance metrics using special algorithms; feature of operating software with muscle oxygen saturation or related biometrics measurement algorithm for personal electronic devices; electronic software algorithm for the purpose of capturing, processing, and analyzing muscle oxygen saturation or related sports performance metrics; algorithm feature sold as an integral component of personal electronic devices, namely wearable fitness trackers, smartwatches, and health monitoring devices.

Could this tie into CIRQA?

Most likely, Garmin plans to introduce a new sensor capable of measuring muscle oxygen directly. Given the CIRQA trademark filing, and the growing signs that Garmin is exploring more recovery-focused wearables, the timing feels particularly notable.

The filing date stands out because it comes just six days before Garmin’s CIRQA trademark application. That may be coincidence, but it also raises another possibility. A screenless recovery band paired with a new muscle-focused readiness metric would generate lots of interest.

That becomes even more interesting in light of a recent Whoop patent that points to a future wearable capable of measuring muscle oxygenation. If Garmin gets there first, CIRQA could end up offering something beyond what the current generation of the Whoop provides.

For now, this remains a trademark filing rather than a confirmed product feature. Still, the specificity of the wording makes this one worth watching closely, as it may offer an early look at where Garmin’s performance tracking is heading next.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: USPTO

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The update appears to be the next step in Zepp Health’s steady expansion of BioCharge. Over the past few months, the company has been building this into one of the watch’s key software features, and this latest release pushes it further into daily health and recovery use.

BioCharge gets more context

The biggest addition here is something called BioCharge Life Log. This looks to be a manual logging feature that lets users record real-world events that may affect recovery and energy levels through the day, including stress, alcohol intake, travel and illness.

That added context should make BioCharge easier to interpret. If your score suddenly drops after a long-haul flight, poor sleep or a particularly stressful work day, the watch and Zepp Health app can now help explain why rather than simply showing a lower readiness value.

The update also introduces a BioCharge boundary alert, which appears to notify users when they are approaching or reaching their daily BioCharge limit during workouts. In practical terms, that acts as a soft warning that strain may be starting to outweigh recovery.

Self-check adds a more proactive layer

While Life Log is based on manually recorded events, Self-check appears to work from the watch’s own physiological data. According to the update notes, it is designed to identify unusual trends and help flag potential health risks earlier.

That suggests the system is monitoring deviations from your personal baseline rather than relying on fixed thresholds. A sustained drop in HRV, elevated resting heart rate, poorer sleep metrics or prolonged stress signals could all feed into this.

This gives BioCharge a more proactive role. Instead of simply helping explain why your score has changed, the watch may now be able to alert you when something in your recovery profile looks out of the ordinary. Those alerts are also expected to sync with the Zepp Health app homepage, making them easier to spot at a glance.

Alongside the new BioCharge tools, Zepp Health says it has further refined the underlying algorithm to cover more scenarios and improve the accuracy of energy use and recovery estimates. That is arguably just as important as the visible additions.

Rollout should begin soon

While this update is rolling out first to the Balance 2, these BioCharge additions will likely make their way to most recent Amazfit watches. Features like Life Log, boundary alerts and Self-check feel like software-level tools rather than something tied to specific hardware.

Zepp Health has followed this approach before, first introducing new features on one device before expanding them across the wider lineup. This update may simply be the first phase of a broader rollout.

Change-log

New

• Added BioCharge Life Log, supports logging events such as stress, alcohol intake, travel and illness
• Added BioCharge boundary alerts, provides notifications when you approach your daily BioCharge limit during workouts
• Added BioCharge Self-check, designed to detect unusual physiological trends and help identify potential health risks earlier
• Related alerts now sync to the Zepp Health app homepage

Optimisations

• Improved the BioCharge algorithm to cover more scenarios and events
• Improved the accuracy of energy consumption and recovery estimates

Fixes

• Fixed an issue where the music player could not play music
• Fixed issues with the music list refresh and song switching
• Fixed display issues on Zepp Coach training reminder pages
• Fixed other known issues to improve system stability and smoothness

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The USPTO application numbered £99670310 itself is unusually specific. Rather than using broad fitness tracker wording, Garmin describes wearable devices placed on the body that measure physiological data, bio-signals and bodily behaviour, alongside metrics linked to stress recovery, alertness and performance.

Taken together, this points well beyond a conventional fitness band. The language strongly suggests a recovery-first wearable designed for continuous wear, with a focus on sleep, training load and daily readiness, which lines up closely with what earlier leaks had hinted at.

A stronger signal than the original leak

Back in January, we reported that Garmin had briefly exposed a product page reference to a “CIRQA Smart Band” on its own site. That leak pointed to two sizes, multiple colour options and an estimated shipping window that suggested a mid-2026 release.

At the time, the main question was whether this was simply another fitness band or something aimed more directly at the recovery wearable space currently dominated by devices like Whoop. There was speculation about the upcoming device including a screen-less design and deeper recovery analytics.

This latest trademark filing adds more weight to that theory and makes the earlier leak feel far more significant in hindsight. The wording around stress recovery, alertness and performance feels very deliberate, and Garmin could easily have filed something much broader.

Instead, the language closely mirrors how recovery-focused wearables are typically positioned, which strengthens the view that CIRQA may be designed as a dedicated recovery and readiness device rather than a conventional fitness band.

The filing hints at Garmin’s direction

What stands out most is that the application is filed on an intent-to-use basis. In other words, this is not a legacy product name being renewed. It strongly suggests something Garmin intends to bring to market.

The legal description covers electronic sensors and monitors worn on the body, along with devices for storing and transmitting the collected data. That fits with a band-style wearable that relies heavily on app-based insights rather than an onboard display.

If Garmin does take CIRQA in this direction, it could represent a different kind of product from its existing smartwatch and band lineup. This may be designed as a dedicated recovery and readiness device.

That would also make sense strategically. Garmin already has the software foundation in place through Body Battery, HRV Status, sleep analytics and training readiness metrics. CIRQA could simply package those ideas into a more discreet form factor.

Release date

The trademark timeline may also offer a small clue on launch timing, although it is not a direct release indicator. Garmin filed the CIRQA name on February 25 and the application is still listed as awaiting assignment to an examining attorney. But that does not prevent the company from launching the device before the trademark is formally approved.

In practice, brands often release new hardware while the legal process is still moving through the USPTO. When viewed alongside the earlier smart band leak, which pointed to a mid-2026 shipping window, the latest filing still fits with a potential late spring or early summer launch rather than suggesting any delay.

For now, nothing is official beyond the trademark filing, but it does make the earlier leak look far less accidental and much more like an early glimpse of a product already moving through Garmin’s launch pipeline.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: USPTO

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A sensor designed for different parts of the body

One diagram shows the device placed on the upper thigh, while another highlights use across the chest, arm and waist. You may be wondering – why would Whoop want the device worn in different places in the first place? The answer likely comes down to data quality and the type of physiological signal being measured.

Different areas of the body offer very different insights. Larger muscle groups such as the quadriceps can provide a clearer view of muscle oxygen use during exercise, which could be particularly useful for running, cycling and strength work. By contrast, areas such as the chest or torso may offer more stable readings for broader cardiovascular signals and recovery metrics.

This suggests Whoop may be building a system that adapts to the metric. That is a notable shift from the traditional smartwatch approach, where heart rate, recovery and activity tracking are all constrained to a single location whether or not it is the best place to capture the signal.

Muscle oxygen could be the real target

The patent repeatedly points toward combining optical sensing with pressure data to extract deeper physiological signals. One of the most interesting of these is muscle oxygen saturation, which has so far been limited mostly to niche devices and specialist sensors.

Placing a sensor on the thigh or arm makes much more sense for this type of measurement. It allows the device to monitor how muscles are using oxygen during effort, rather than relying purely on heart rate as a proxy for intensity.

If Whoop moves in this direction, it could open the door to new types of training insights. Instead of only tracking strain through cardiovascular response, the system could begin to reflect how hard the muscles themselves are working and how quickly they recover.

Pressure sensing adds another layer

Another important part of the patent is the use of pressure sensing within the strap.

Rather than assuming the device is worn correctly, the system can detect how tightly it is pressed against the skin and adjust its readings accordingly. This has a direct impact on data quality, especially for optical sensors, which are sensitive to both movement and contact consistency.

It also enables more advanced interpretations of the data. Changes in pressure can affect blood flow and tissue response, which can then be used alongside optical signals to refine measurements.

The patent points to more than muscle oxygen

While the muscle oxygen angle is arguably the most eye-catching part of the filing, the patent itself points to a broader set of physiological metrics.

Among the signals referenced are blood oxygen saturation, oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, and total hemoglobin levels. That suggests Whoop may be exploring deeper tissue and blood flow analysis.

The filing also references tissue perfusion and blood flow related signals, which could potentially be used to enhance recovery and strain insights. In practical terms, that could help provide a clearer picture of how blood flow responds during exercise and how quickly the body returns to baseline afterwards.

There is also mention of pulse waveform data and pressure-based vascular measurements, which could support more advanced cardiovascular metrics, including refinements to blood pressure trend estimates. That is particularly notable given Whoop already offers Blood Pressure Insights, suggesting this patent may point to future hardware designed to improve the quality and reliability of those readings.

What this could mean for the next Whoop

Of course, this is not a confirmed product roadmap, so it should be treated as an early signal rather than a direct preview of the next device. What makes this filing particularly interesting is that the patent drawings do not appear to show wrist placement, instead focusing on other parts of the body.

That opens up the possibility that this is not a direct replacement for the standard Whoop. Instead, it may be a separate device designed to work alongside the core wearable, potentially as part of the company’s broader body-based tracking ecosystem.

What gives this filing weight is that, in the past, pretty much all of Whoop’s patents have gone on to appear in real-world products. While that is never a guarantee, it does make this feel more than just a theoretical concept on paper.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: USPTO

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A replaceable battery design

The newly granted US patent describes a wearable ring made up of two main sections. The inner portion houses the sensor system and core electronics, while the outer curved portion includes the battery housing. Crucially, the filing states that the battery is removable and may be configured so that a user can remove and reinsert it without compromising the functionality of the device. 

The patent also goes into more detail on how this could work in practice. It describes electrical contacts between the removable battery section and the main ring body, suggesting Oura is also protecting the way power would be transferred once the battery module is slotted back in. 

Oura also appears to be covering different ways the battery section could be secured in place. The filing references retention elements, sockets and coupling structures, which suggests the company is exploring more than one hardware approach for attaching and removing the battery module. 

The outer section itself is described as being made up of first and second sub-portions. In practice, this appears to be a two-piece curved shell that fits around the main ring body, forming the removable battery housing. 

Why this is useful

This could be a useful development for the smart ring category because battery ageing is one of the main factors that limits the lifespan of small wearables. Some Oura users have reported battery life dropping noticeably after a year or two, with devices that once lasted several days needing daily charging.

A removable battery design could offer a more practical long-term solution. Instead of replacing the entire ring when battery performance starts to decline, users may only need a new power module, which could also make repairs and warranty replacements simpler. For a premium device designed for continuous wear, that would be a useful change.

Of course, as always with patents, there is no guarantee this will appear in a commercial product. But this one is actually not a bad idea. It stands out because it tackles a very real issue for compact wearables: long-term battery life.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: USPTO

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Fitbit may be working on spot blood pressure checks

What makes this filing interesting is the way Fitbit seems to be approaching the measurement itself. Rather than trying to estimate blood pressure continuously in the background, the patent points to a guided check that the user actively starts, which could make the feature more reliable in real-world use.

The document, granted on April 7, 2026 by the US Patent Office, describes a system that combines optical pulse sensing with a force sensor to analyse how the pulse signal changes during a brief reading. In other words, this looks less like an always-on wellness metric and more like a dedicated health tool, similar in concept to how ECG features are used on smartwatches today.

The reading appears to be taken with a finger press

One of the clearest illustrations in the patent shows a finger pressing down on the top of the wearable while the main sensor remains in contact with the wrist. That detail makes the likely real-world use much easier to understand and gives the whole concept a far more practical feel.

In simple terms, you would wear the device as normal and then manually start a blood pressure reading. At that point, you place a finger on the top sensor area for a short period, which increases the force applied at the underside optical sensor against the wrist.

The wearable then tracks two things at once. It captures the pulse waveform through a standard optical sensor, much like existing heart rate tracking, while also measuring how much pressure is being applied through a dedicated force sensor. The software then analyses how the pulse amplitude changes as that pressure changes, using the relationship between the two to estimate blood pressure.

A more practical approach than passive estimates

This is an important distinction because many cuffless blood pressure concepts rely heavily on indirect estimation methods such as pulse transit time and calibration models. Those approaches can work, but they often depend on baseline calibration and can drift over time.

Fitbit’s patent suggests something more controlled. By knowing exactly how much force is being applied during a spot check, the device may be able to generate a more stable and repeatable estimate.

In practical use, this would likely be a feature for occasional checks rather than continuous all-day monitoring. Think of it as something you use occasionally to track trends, rather than a passive metric quietly updating in the background.

Why this matters now

The timing is interesting given the recent screenless Fitbit band teasers that seem to point toward a stronger focus on health, recovery and passive wellness tracking. A spot blood pressure feature would fit neatly into that broader direction, even if it eventually lands first on a Google Pixel Watch rather than a band.

Blood pressure remains one of the major health metrics that mainstream wearables are still trying to crack in a practical way. This filing suggests Fitbit is still very much working on solutions behind the scenes.

As always, a patent does not mean this feature is about to launch. Companies file plenty of concepts that never make it into consumer products, and that is especially true in the health sensing space.

That said, this one feels more grounded than many abstract filings because it lays out a believable way a user would actually take a reading. If Fitbit does bring this to market, it could become a genuinely useful addition for people who want quick spot checks and long-term blood pressure trends from the wrist.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: USPTO

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Better maps and route tools

Some big changes are coming to the navigation side, which makes sense given Suunto’s outdoor focus. The watches will do a better job of recognising when you have gone off your planned route, which should be especially helpful on trail runs and hikes where paths split off in several directions.

More importantly, it looks like Suunto is adding a proper way to guide you back. Instead of just telling you that you are off course, the watch can show an arrow pointing you back towards the route along with the remaining distance. That is the kind of thing that sounds simple, but out on a long run or hike it can save you a lot of time.

There is also a Track Back option, so you can retrace your steps along the exact route you have already taken. Add in auto zoom, better turn alerts and map labels for things like city names and elevation contours, and the whole navigation experience looks a lot more polished.

More useful training features

Training tools are also getting a nice lift. One of the additions is heart rate broadcasting straight from the watch.

That means you should be able to use the watch as a heart rate source for gym equipment, cycling computers or other compatible devices, without always needing a chest strap. It is something competitors have offered for a while, so it is good to see Suunto bringing it in.

There is also heart rate recovery tracking after workouts, which is actually a useful fitness marker if you are training regularly. Seeing how quickly your heart rate drops after effort can help give a better sense of recovery and overall conditioning over time.

Swimmers are getting something too, with a drill mode and better lap button syncing in the pool. For anyone who does structured swim sessions, that should make tracking a lot less fiddly.

A few other bits and pieces

Some of the smaller changes are also worth a mention. One that stands out is the ability to use the touchscreen during sports mode, which should make the watch feel a bit less restrictive during workouts. That will be optional so you can switch it on or off.

There are also weekly recurring alarms, mixed unit support and some notification and sound tweaks.

Overall, this feels like a really solid update from Suunto. It should improve the experience, especially for outdoor sports and training. We’re not sure of the exact timing of the rollout but keep an eye out on any notifications in the app in the coming days. Presumably, these updates will be coming to Race 2 and Vertical 2, and perhaps some of the older watches.

Suunto Q1 update changelog

Navigation and maps
Improved off-route detection
Back-to-route guidance (arrow pointing to the route plus distance on display)
Track Back function (return along your own tracks)
Auto-zoom and alerts for upcoming turns
Climb display with dynamic zoom based on distance
City names and icons on the map
Contour lines with elevation labels on the map
Partially customizable bottom display bar

Training and performance
Heart rate broadcasting from the watch (HR Broadcast)
Heart rate recovery analysis after training (HRR)
Vertical gain as a training goal
Drill mode for pool swimming
Lap button synchronization with automatic intervals during swimming

UI / UX / System
Option to enable the touchscreen in sports mode
Support for extended (mixed) unit systems
Notification and sound management for daily use and sports
The dial rotates continuously (no stop at the end)
Deactivation / silencing of auto-lap during an ongoing interval
Alarms for specific days of the week
Indonesian language

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For frequent travellers, this is a genuinely useful addition. One of the long-standing frustrations with WHOOP has been how badly time-zone jumps could throw off sleep data, alarms and recovery insights, particularly on long-haul trips.

A smarter way to handle travel

This appears to be a gradual rollout. When your app has been updated, you’ll notice a new “Time Change Detected” prompt.

In the example shown, WHOOP flags a four-hour time shift and explains that it may temporarily affect sleep timing, recovery and HRV. It then offers a “Help Me Adjust” option, which seems to open a more detailed set of recommendations. In the past, you could ask the chat-bot for advice, but this is a more streamlined way of doing things.

The guidance focuses on the practical guidance when crossing time zones. That includes when to sleep, when to seek light exposure, how much to hydrate and how to time caffeine intake. In other words, it is trying to act more like a recovery coach than simply logging disrupted sleep after the fact.

All of this is important because jet lag does not just affect how rested you feel. It can temporarily push HRV lower, raise resting heart rate and make recovery scores look worse than they otherwise would. For users who rely on WHOOP for training decisions, that is worth noting.

A feature that was overdue

This is something many users have been waiting for. Trips often lead to confused sleep timing, broken alarm scheduling and recovery data that takes days to settle.

That makes this rollout feel less like a novelty and more like WHOOP catching up to a very obvious use case. The platform already leans heavily into recovery, readiness and coaching, so handling jet lag properly was always a natural extension. Garmin has had this feature for a while now, as have some other wearable brands such as Ultrahuman.

WHOOP has talked about time-zone management before, particularly in the context of athletes and performance teams. This new consumer-facing version seems to bring some of that thinking directly into the app for everyday users. For people who travel for work, fly long haul or regularly compete across time zones, this should be a very useful feature.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

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This suggests this was not a last-minute teaser put together for publicity, but something that has been in use behind the scenes for a while. For anyone following the story, it makes the possibility of an official announcement in the near future feel much more realistic.

The timeline now looks more interesting

When the more recent teaser first appeared, the big talking point was the device itself. A fabric-style wrist band with no visible display, worn by Steph Curry, immediately pushed the conversation toward a possible Fitbit move into the screenless recovery tracker category.

But we dug around his instagram account and found images of the device in other videos and posts. For example, this older March 6 footage changes the angle slightly. The screenshots clearly show the same style of band on Curry’s wrist, with the now familiar light grey centre section and orange accents.

For a device that appears close to final hardware, that sort of extended public use often points to a product that is moving through the final stages before launch. Companies regularly place near-finished wearables with athletes, ambassadors and creators well ahead of an announcement, partly to build familiarity and partly to test real-world usage.

And how about this from 10 weeks ago.

And there are more images.

What makes this especially notable is that the design looks consistent across all these sightings. There do not appear to be visible changes between the earlier footage and the newer teaser, which could suggest the hardware is locked in.

Interestingly enough, some images suggest that the tracking part may be on the inside of the wrist. There is no visible bump that we could spot on the top of the wrist – only the band.

A clear move toward the Whoop category

The bigger story remains what this device is trying to be.

Everything about the form factor points toward a passive health and recovery wearable rather than a traditional smartwatch or fitness band. There is no visible screen, no obvious notification interface and no sign that this is meant to replace something like the Fitbit Charge.

Instead, this looks much closer to the category currently dominated by Whoop and, increasingly, other screenless trackers focused on sleep, recovery, readiness and long-term wellness trends.

That would make a lot of sense for Google right now. Fitbit’s smartwatch identity has become increasingly tied to the Pixel Watch line, so a dedicated screenless band could give the brand a new lane to grow into, particularly around subscription-led health insights.

If Curry has been wearing this for the past two months, the device may already be in the final stages of launch prep. That could mean an announcement in the coming weeks, potentially tied to a broader Fitbit or Pixel event window.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

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