boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 Review: Find Dustbin

boAt is known for importing Chinese products in India and adding their Logo on top which is fair because this is a business and they want to make a profit. Now, the problem is during this process, accuracy loses its way.

That being said, boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 is here, it costs Rs 8,999 and it’s available in 7, 9, and 11 size options.

So let’s find out whether this Smart ring is worth buying or it’s just an imported product.

boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 Review

No, the boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 is not worth buying because the ring doesn’t even track health accurately, the boAt ring app is unpolished, it also feels a bit bigger on the fingers and yet boAt is charging Rs 8,999 which is not justifiable at all.

Smart Ring’s purpose is to provide accurate health data and if it can’t provide the same then it doesn’t make any sense to spend Rs 8,999.

boAt sells cheap products that they import from China which is fine because they keep the price affordable but in the case of boAt Smart Ring Gen 1, boAt is just charging a ridiculous amount.

boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 looks and feels great but it doesn’t provide accurate health data and the software support is unpolished while the Rs 8,999 price tag is too much for what boAt is offering.

One More Thing, if you’re already spending Rs 8,999 then why not just get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 because you will get accurate health data and a lot more features, it’s just that, you’re buying a smartwatch and not a Smart ring.

Design and Build

The design is generic, boAt didn’t even spend a single rupee on R&D, they have imported whatever they got from China.

So yes, the ring will fit perfectly on your fingers, you just have to choose the right size. The boAt is also offering a Size kit but for some reason, it’s been out of stock since the launch day.

To measure the boAt smart ring size at home,  just use paper and measure your finger size with the help of a foot ruler. It’s a simple yet good way to see the size of your finger.

What I’m saying is, the design is kind of okay but what’s not okay is the weight of the boAt smart ring Gen 1.

The ring has 8 grams of weight which looks lightweight but when you wear the ring all day and all night then you will realize that 8 grams is a bit extra for a ring.

It would have been great if the ring had about 5 to 6 grams of weight but hey, this is imported, so what can I say?

By the way, the ring is made from ceramic and metallic materials, so yes, it’s durable and it won’t break very easily even if you drop it on the floor.

It also comes with a 5ATM water resistance rating up to a depth of 50 meters which means, you can use this ring during bath or even during rainy days.

The end story is, the build is solid while the design is nothing new but it gets the job done while the weight could have been a bit less.

Health Accuracy

The main purpose of the boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 is to measure health properly because it doesn’t have a display.

So the biggest question is, does boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 provide accurate health data? The answer is No.

Let’s explore the same…

As the ring is closer to human skin and it also has 6 6-axis motion sensors, this means the step count should be perfect and accurate but the reality is different.

Now, I don’t know whether boAt has used cheap sensors or the software is not polished but all the time, the ring adds extra steps. For example, if I have walked around 10,000 steps then the ring will show 11,000 to 13000 and sometimes even 14000.

This feels like a software problem because we have seen boAt smartwatches, they’re also not perfect but they don’t add a thousand extra steps.

Also, as this is a smart ring and it also costs Rs 8999, I’m assuming that boAt will have used good-quality sensors.

Now wait for the verdict till then let’s talk about the SpO2 and Heart Rate.

I have said in the past and I will say it again, never rely on SpO2 if you have a budget Indian smartwatch because most of the Indian brands are just importing everything from China and adding their Logo on top and they say our products are “100% Made in India”.

The same is true with boAt Smart Ring Gen 1. SpO2 results are close to accurate but sometimes, it doesn’t even make any sense. Sometimes it feels like, the boAt has set a specific number on their software.

So yes, if you want proper health data then go get a pulse oximeter which is available at Rs 1000.

Heart Rate data are also the same as SpO2, take whatever numbers you get with a grain of salt.

The good news is, somehow, the sleep tracking was close to accurate. It’s not perfect but it’s not bad either. So yes, you can rely on sleep data to some extent.

Again, the ring provides REM, Light, and even deep sleep.

For reference, if you’re about to start exercise then you have to pick up the Smartphone, open the boAt Ring App and start the Workout mode, the ring doesn’t detect the Workout automatically.

boAt has also added Body Temperature Monitoring and you guessed it, don’t rely on it. 

boAt has added everything and it’s a good thing but the problem is, they haven’t worked properly on anything. 

It’s like, you’re working one 5 to 6 business at the same time and none of the business is working well. It’s better to just work on 1 business and give your 100%.

Long story short, you have to keep your smartphone with you all the time to get the most out of boAt Smart Ring Gen 1.

FYI, the ring doesn’t have Bluetooth calling.

Overall, boAt has a long way to go and this is the right time for boAt to work on R&D and produce genuine products for Indian users while in the case of boAt Smart Ring Gen 1, you can skip this and look for a better smart ring because this is not worth buying.

Software and Features

You have to download the boAt Ring App on your smartphone to get the most out of boAt Smart Ring Gen 1. The App is kind of okay, it does feel outdated but it gets the job done.

The software is not perfect either, there is a lot of room for improvement. The App UI is too old, it feels like, boAt just launched the ring without working on the App, and it looks incomplete.

I get it. We have quite a few options now, and boAt wanted to enter the Ring market but I feel it’s better to focus on quality rather than trying to capture the market.

Here is the selling point, 

boAt has added gestures which looks great but when it comes to real-life usage, it doesn’t work the best.

For example, you can swipe up and down on the ring, and the Shorts or even reals will scroll by itself or you can even take pictures or change the song with the help of the ring.

None of these features works all the time, you have to swipe two or three times and it will work for one time.

 As I have said, the software is not polished well, it needs lots of improvement.

While the biggest problem with gestures is, you can’t use everything at once. You have to either choose the Short/Reels swipe, Take pictures, or change songs.

Again, the software is a limiting factor and yet boAt is like, this is Rs 8999, take it or leave it.

Battery

There is no display, so the battery will last for a long time but don’t expect 10 days or even 20 days. 

boAt is like our boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 will last for 7 days with full charge but the reality is, it will only last for 3 to 4 days depending on what kind of feature you use and for how long.

3 days is max.

By the way, it has a 30mAh battery which is all good as this is a smart ring and it’s also not possible to add more battery otherwise, it will be bulky.

boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 Specifications

• Price: Rs 8,999
• Color: Black
• Dimensions: 10.7 × 9.5 × 5.7 cm, Weight: 8g
• Sizes: 7 (54.50 – 55.00 mm), 9 (59.90 – 60.40 mm), and 11 (65.30 – 65.80 mm)
• Sensors: Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, Spo2 Monitor, Sleep Monitor, 6-axis Motion Sensor, and Calorie Count
• App: boAt Ring App
• Other Features: Waterproof level 5 ATM, SOS, and Body Temperature Monitoring
• Battery: 30mAh Battery
• Compatibility: Android and iOS 14.0

boAt Smart Ring Gen 1 Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Solid Build Quality	Inaccurate Health Data
Close to Accurate Sleep Tracking	Unpolished Application
Long Lasting Battery Life	Software Needs Lots of Improvements
5ATM Water Resistance	Bit on Heavier Side
	Overpriced

Verdict

Images by Venom’s Tech