Circular unveils Ring 3 smart ring series with NFC payments

Smart ring maker Circular unveiled its upcoming Ring 3 series on Thursday, consisting of a Pro model and a Slim option, both featuring an integrated NFC chip for contactless payments and vibrating alerts for alarms and reminders.

The Ring 3 Pro has a slimmer design than its predecessor and adds FDA-cleared ECG for AFib detection, blood pressure trend tracking, glucose tracking, advanced sleep analysis, and comprehensive biometric monitoring. It offers up to 12 days of battery life, up from seven days on the previous generation. The Slim option is thinner and lighter, with basic health and wellness tracking — sleep, heart rate, HRV, SpO2, skin temperature, and daily activity — in a more compact design, and up to 10 days of battery life.

The announcement comes amid heightened competition in the smart ring market following the launches of the Oura Ring 5 and RingConn Gen 3. “We understand that not everyone wants every health feature,” Circular CEO Amaury Kosman said in a company announcement shared with TechCrunch, adding that many people simply want a well-designed, fashionable smart ring that delivers essential wellness insights and effortless contactless payments.

The on-finger vibrations, available on both models, can be used for silent wake-up alarms, medication reminders, vital health alerts, and guided breathing exercises. Both models are made from titanium steel, offer 50-metre water resistance, and support wireless charging. They will be available in sizes 6 to 14, in the same gold, rose gold, silver, and black finishes as the Ring 2.

Circular said pricing and preorder details for both rings will be announced in the coming months, with availability expected in early 2027.

Why it matters

The launch shows smart ring makers converging on payments and clinical-grade sensing as differentiators, setting up a more direct fight with Oura and RingConn in a still-nascent but fast-growing wearables category.