One of Apple's top health execs is ditching the company for Oura, and I've never been more convinced smart rings are the future

(Image credit: Future)

One of Apple's top health execs has left the company for Oura
Ricky Bloomfield joins the smart ring company as its Chief Medical Officer
Oura says it has ambitious goals for 2025 and an exciting next chapter ahead

One of Apple's top health execs has left the company to join Oura, maker of some of the best smart rings for health and fitness tracking, in what could be a seismic shift in the industry and a signpost to the future of health wearables.

Oura has just announced that Apple's Ricky Bloomfield, MD, will join the company as its chief medical officer.

The company says Dr. Bloomfield "will set the vision for Oura’s global healthcare programs and partnerships, shape its roadmap as it relates to adherence to ever-changing healthcare regulations, enable cross-functional collaboration across the organization to drive the direction of new hardware and software features to scale its healthcare ambitions and guide the company’s expansion in healthcare solutions."

Is the smart ring the future?

Apple Watch Ultra 2 move data — (Image credit: Future)

The best smartwatches have long been the industry's mainstay for health and fitness tracking, with sensors for monitoring heart rate, exercise, and even sleep.

But alternatives like the Oura Ring 4 offer a more discreet and unintrusive package that you're much less likely to notice. Smart rings don't get in the way of daily life as much as a smartwatch can, and they have other benefits, too.

Rather than relentless notifications and over-zealous encouragement telling you to stand up, smart rings quietly measure your health in the background, giving you actionable data and trends at a time that suits you.

That Dr. Bloomfield would leave the world's largest tech company, and by all accounts, a pioneering industry leader in health and fitness wearables, in favor of a smaller company focused on smart rings could speak volumes about the future of health tracking.

Apple was once rumored to be developing its own smart ring, but last we heard, the project had been shelved. Dr. Bloomfield's departure could be the final death knell for the Apple Ring, as we'd hoped, or it could signal that his ambition outweighs a decision Apple has already made to ditch the idea.

"We have ambitious goals this year, and his expertise will help us refine our vision and dismantle the challenges that exist when breaking into established industries like healthcare," Kilroy said, going on to say Dr Bloomfield's experience in data interoperability and standardization "will set the stage for Oura’s next chapter."

Is Oura hinting at future updates and new models that could work more closely with other smart tech, wearables, your healthcare providers, or even AI?

Only time will tell, but Dr. Bloomfied is a stunning addition to the company's roster that will have rivals like Samsung looking sideways.

While still an emerging technology, smart rings are a serious threat to the smartwatch status quo. This week, Circular announced that its new Ring 2 would feature both blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring, and it will be available as over-the-air updates in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.