We Tested 5 Pieces of Wearable A.I. Tech, From Smart Rings to Smart Glasses
Ready or not, artificial intelligence (A.I.) is here—and with it, a host of wearable tech (such as the Even Realities G1 smart glasses shown above) that promises to integrate itself into your life and make work, play, and even downtime more productive. But which are just glorified Siri knockoffs, and which actually deliver the A.I. goods?
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Samsung Galaxy Ring
Like other wearables, Samsung‘s Galaxy Ring conceals numerous sensors capable of reading everything from your heart rate to your blood-oxygen level. From there, it can monitor your activity and stress levels, then provide steps to, say, improve your sleep and reduce anxiety. We found its tracking to be remarkably accurate and its suggestions genuinely useful, such as the quick breathing course recommended when it sensed a need to calm down, or the timely reminder to avoid late-night snacks to improve sleep. All of this advice is provided by Galaxy A.I., which aggregates the Ring’s stream of data to also spot health trends and problematic patterns early on. The one drawback? The ring is a bit thick, so may be too unwieldy for some.
Pro: Lightweight and comfortable
Con: Bulky, could be more stylish
Verdict: A simple way to get more insight into your daily health
Price: $399
Ray-Ban Meta
At first glance, the Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses appear like a regular pair of Wayfarers. But look closer and you’ll spot the dual camera lenses peeking out of the frames, enabling you to capture stills or even live stream video directly from your eyewear. The real innovation, though, is the inclusion of a virtual companion that communicates with you via the integrated microphone and speakers. You can chat about anything from the weather to modern economic theory, completely hands-free. The sound and image quality are surprisingly good, though the frames themselves feel flimsy and cheap compared to Ray-Ban’s premium offerings.
Pro: Great sound and visual quality
Con: Lacks the quality feel and finish expected of Ray-Ban
Verdict: The best way to capture the moment—while staying in the moment
Price: Starting at $299
Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon
Unlike Samsung, Oura has been iterating and improving its own wellness band for years. Now, the Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon not only offers the same sort of sleep, fitness, and overall health tracking as Samsung’s wearable—plus offers extensive integrations with apps ranging from Strava for fitness to Flo for ovulation—but there’s also an A.I.-powered adviser that you can chat with. Our tester even received a suggested series of stretches to address some nagging bursitis. Given the Galaxy Ring’s Android roots, the Oura is a better fit for those with an iPhone.
Pro: Comes with a built-in A.I.-powered adviser
Con: Requires a small monthly fee
Verdict: The best smart ring for iPhone users
Price: $349
Even Realities G1
Unlike the Ray-Ban Meta, the G1 glasses from Even Realities are designed specifically to help you navigate the world. The impressive built-in display projects text or simple graphics onto the lens in a way that makes them appear to float above objects, enabling you to easily get directions, dictate notes, or read from a virtual teleprompter. But what truly won us over is the real-time translation: Listening to someone speak in a foreign language as their words, translated to English, hover over their head truly feels like living in the future. Yet while the glasses are innovative and comfortable, their touch-activated interaction is clumsy at best.
Pro: Clean, modern styling
Con: Tap-based operation is awkward
Verdict: These glasses look and feel like tomorrow’s tech, but the interface is less than visionary
Price: $599
Garmin Coach
Garmin will put you through your paces even when you can’t have a trainer by your side. Relying on a technology called Firstbeat Analytics in the Garmin Connect app, the company’s latest smartwatches—and even some older models—can generate personally tailored running and cycling workouts that factor in everything from last week’s performance to last night’s sleep quality. Want to get faster on your bike? Tell the app how many days and hours you have available for training, and it will generate a performance-focused plan designed to meet your goals—and schedule.
Pro: Quickly and seamlessly develops custom training plans
Con: Limited sports options
Verdict: Better than many premium training apps
Price: Free (once you’ve purchased a Garmin smartwatch)
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