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Pebble Halo smart ring review: Stylish, lightweight, and not quite there yet
Pebble Halo smart ring review: Stylish, lightweight, and not quite there yet

Mint

timea day ago

  • Health
  • Mint

Pebble Halo smart ring review: Stylish, lightweight, and not quite there yet

I've never been a fan of bulky wearables. Smartwatches are useful, sure, but they're often overkill for people who just want the basics. So when I got my hands on the Pebble Halo, a compact, India-made smart ring promising core health features in a barely-there design, I was curious. Could this tiny thing really replace a band or watch for everyday tracking? After wearing it for a week, during work, sleep, a few workouts, and even a wedding, I have mixed feelings. Visually, the Pebble Halo doesn't look 'techy' at all, and that's a win. The golden version I wore passed off as a regular metal ring. It didn't clash with formals, gym wear, or PJs. More importantly, I forgot I was even wearing it after the first day. That's how light and unobtrusive it is. Pebble Halo smart ring review Just be careful with sizing. Once you pick a size, there's no going back. Pebble gives you a physical ring sizer in the box, but it's still a bit of a gamble if you're in between sizes. There's a tiny OLED display that shows your steps, heart rate, battery, and time. It has tap functionality and looks futuristic, but I barely used it. Most of the real info lives in the app, and the screen is hard to read outdoors. Pebble Halo smart ring review If you want a fuss-free tracker for steps, heart rate, and sleep, the Halo does the job. I wore it during a morning walk, a sweaty yoga session, and even while crashing on the couch for a power nap. The data was mostly in line with my smartwatch, though step counts were occasionally optimistic. Sleep tracking was more accurate than expected. It correctly logged my restless nights and early wakeups, impressive for something this small. Pebble Halo smart ring review But fitness folks, this isn't for you yet. No workout modes, no GPS, no HR zones. Think of it as a wellness tracker, not a fitness assistant. The Pebble app is easy to navigate, and syncing was fast. You get your daily stats and trends, but that's where it ends. No deep dive. It's fine for casual users, but data nerds will feel short-changed. Pebble Halo smart ring review Pebble claims four days, and I got about three and a half with regular checking and one workout a day. Not bad, but I was hoping for more. The charging dock is compact, though, and gets it back to full in under an hour. If you hate wristbands or smartwatches but still want to keep an eye on your health. If you're just getting into health tracking and don't want to spend ₹ 20K on a smart ring. 20K on a smart ring. If you like your gadgets minimal and invisible. It's perfect for light, everyday tracking, steps, sleep, heart rate, without pulling focus from your lifestyle. The Pebble Halo is a likeable first-gen product. It looks good, wears well, and delivers on the basics. But it's not quite ready to replace your fitness tracker or smartwatch, especially if you're after deeper insights or training data. Still, for under ₹ 9,000, it's one of the most accessible smart rings in the market right now. If you're curious about smart rings and don't need bells and whistles, this is a solid way to start. Pebble is on the right track. I just hope version two focuses more on depth than display.

I tested a smart ring with a display. I liked it more than I wanted to
I tested a smart ring with a display. I liked it more than I wanted to

Digital Trends

time07-07-2025

  • Digital Trends

I tested a smart ring with a display. I liked it more than I wanted to

I don't need yet another screen in my life. Or at least that's what I have been telling myself for years. I used to believe it was a pet peeve. But a quick look at Reddit and X shows a whole bunch of people who are experimenting with the 'dumb phone' trend, or flaunting their 'minimalist tech' stack. My attempts at less screen exposure have been somewhat of a mixed bag. There's now a screen in my hand or pocket at all times. For work, there's a 24-inch or bigger screen that I stare at, for roughly eight hours each day. On my wrist, a smartwatch screen keeps lighting up every now and then, vying for my attention to an important notification. Recommended Videos I've deactivated my social accounts, not because I hate the concept, but to avoid the doom scrolling spiral that can easily suck up an hour, or more. So, when I saw an ad for a new smart ring that has a tiny screen on top, I was intrigued. And terrified. Despite all the skepticism, I ordered one, and surprisingly, don't entirely hate it. What can it do? The device in question is the Pebble Halo, which costs merely around $100 and currently up for pre-orders in India. A Quick Look at AliExpress suggests that rings with the same fundamental design have been on sale in China for as little as $40. That absurd pricing makes one question whether the likes of Samsung and Oura are simply ripping off customers by selling smart rings that cost nearly four times as much. Some even burden buyers with a subscription fee on top, so there's that. Now, let's talk a bit about Pebble, which counts Amazon, Meta, and Intel among its partners. The company's portfolio includes earbuds, smart home devices, speakers, and over two dozen smartwatches. And yeah, it's not totally averse to the blatantly copying competitors, such as the Apple Watch. So, is this ring a total dud? Well, not entirely. The build is stainless steel, and the company even claims water resistance, though I am not too sure whether I should put that claim to the test. I can measure heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, track sleep and stress level, and monitor fitness activities, such as the number of steps walked. Compared to the Apple Watch, the biosensing measurements for heart rate tracking and blood oxygen measurement (SpO2) are within the 1-2% deviation margin. As far as the step counting capability goes, the variation was usually 5-8% after two days' worth of testing. I wouldn't push this smart ring for anything more granular in terms of workout tracking, primarily because my experience with low-cost wearables has been underwhelming in terms of accuracy. The ring has a stress detection system, which perpetually told me that I was distressed even if I was engaged in fun comics or just bopping to some chill music in the car. The display dilemma From the moment I took the Pebble smart ring out of the box, I was cynical about the appeal of the tiny display on it. Using the companion app, you can configure what you want to see on the tiny LED screen, though there aren't too many options. At its best, you can see the time, steps walked, heart rate, and the stress level. For other biomarkers, such as heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, and sleep levels, you will have to check them in the mobile app's dashboard. That kind of defeats the whole purpose of putting a display on a ring, but in hindsight, there's a convenient side to it. You see, this is not a touch-sensitive panel that you can swipe or tap. There's a small area on the edge with a rectangle icon where you can slide or tap your thumb to switch between different data points appearing on the screen. I would keep the options to a bare minimum, rather than tap at least five or six times to see the health metric I want to check, after cycling past all the readings that are of no use to me at that moment. In my case, I limited the display to only show the step count, heart rate, and the time. Those are the metrics I am predominately chasing these days, so it makes sense to quickly check them out without getting frustrated after tapping on the display activation area. Plus, for sleep tracking, wearing a ring is a lot more comfortable than a thick smartwatch. My biggest skepticism was whether I wanted 'yet another screen' in my life. Well, that's not the case. There is no always-on display (AOD) system here, the display only lights up when you tap on the activation area. Most importantly, I never activated it accidentally. When you are wearing the ring on the index finger — which is what brands suggest — the touch-sensitive area lies on the open side of the palm. That means unless you tap the edge with the tip of your thumb, the display will stay dark. Also, offering an always-on display convenience is not feasible here because the battery would literally die in a few hours. It's actually a sensible idea to keep the display off and only have it show the time and health-related data when you want to see it. There is no haptic feedback system, nor is there a way to bind the display to notifications. In a nutshell, the typical distraction scenarios you expect from a display are well beyond the reach of the Pebble ring. But this smart ring is not without its faults. To check the heart rate, you have to wait a healthy few seconds before the readings appear on the screen. The stress measurement system on the ring — or any other wearable that I have tested so far — hasn't served any meaningful purpose. Actually, it's not a terrible idea In retrospect, I would prefer a smart ring over a smartwatch, if I was not too deep into wearable-based workout analysis or using features such as GPS navigation, listening to music, or watching exercise metrics in real-time. A ring with a display is just a less digitally intrusive, or ergonomically convenient, way of keeping an eye on the vitals. Another cool aspect is the gesture-based control. With finger gestures, the Pebble ring allows you to scroll past a page in an e-book, or switch to the next video. I wish Android offered a universal tool that would allow users to bind ring-driven gestures to app actions. Pebble has only implemented these gestures to a rudimentary level, but the possibilities are immense, IF executed well. To its credit, the companion app also comes with a few built-in game experiences, such as Flappy Bird, that work via finger gestures. It's not as convenient as it sounds, but a fun start. At the end of the day, I am not averse to the idea of a display on smart rings, as long as it doesn't destroy the battery mileage. If implemented with enough flexibility, functional thoughtfulness, and sensor accuracy, I can see a healthy few takers of the smart ring format over smartwatches.

Pebble Halo smart ring launched in India, sale begins 4 July: Price, specs and more
Pebble Halo smart ring launched in India, sale begins 4 July: Price, specs and more

Mint

time03-07-2025

  • Mint

Pebble Halo smart ring launched in India, sale begins 4 July: Price, specs and more

Pebble has introduced the Halo Smart Ring in India, positioning it as the country's first smart ring to feature an in-built digital display. The wearable, which comes in six sizes and three colour options, will be available for purchase starting 4 July via Flipkart, with pre-orders currently open on the official website. The Pebble Halo Smart Ring is priced at an MRP of ₹ 7,999, although it is being offered at a discounted pre-order price of ₹ 3,999. The colour variants include black, gold, and silver. Designed with a stainless steel body and skin-friendly materials, the ring ranges in sizes from 53–55mm (size 7) to 67–70mm (size 12). While it is claimed to offer water and dust resistance, the company has not disclosed any specific certification. Health and wellness monitoring form the core of the Halo's features. The smart ring is equipped with sensors for tracking heart rate, blood oxygen levels (SpO2), sleep quality, stress levels, and heart rate variability (HRV). Additional functions include step counting, calorie tracking, and gesture controls that allow users to interact with paired devices, such as scrolling through videos, flipping pages in eBooks, or operating the phone's camera shutter and music playback. The Pebble Halo promises a battery life of up to four days on a single charge and takes approximately 120 minutes to fully charge. It supports wireless charging and comes with Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity. The device is compatible with both Android and iOS platforms through the Pebble Halo app. This device will be available for purchase starting 4 July via Flipkart, with pre-orders currently open on the official website. With its launch, Pebble aims to compete in the growing smart wearable segment by offering an alternative to traditional wrist-worn devices, combining compact design with everyday utility.

Pebble Halo Smart Ring arrives with a digital display, stainless steel design, and a sub-$100 price tag
Pebble Halo Smart Ring arrives with a digital display, stainless steel design, and a sub-$100 price tag

GSM Arena

time03-07-2025

  • Health
  • GSM Arena

Pebble Halo Smart Ring arrives with a digital display, stainless steel design, and a sub-$100 price tag

Indian smart wearables brand Pebble today announced Halo Smart Ring as its first smart ring, "designed for consumers who want their tech to blend seamlessly with their personal style." The biggest highlight of the Pebble Halo Smart Ring is its active digital display, which shows time, battery status, and health and fitness data. Speaking of, the Pebble Halo Smart Ring comes with the usual slew of health and fitness features, including a step counter, a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking (supports REM sleep), stress monitoring, and blood oxygen level measurement. The brand says it also supports multiple sports modes, but doesn't provide specifics. Additionally, the Pebble Halo Smart Ring comes with a chant counter and supports gesture control for playing games, scrolling videos, controlling music and the camera, and flipping pages in e-book readers on the connected device. Pebble hasn't revealed the battery capacity of the Halo Smart Ring, but claims it will have an endurance of 3-4 days, with the charging time being two hours. The Halo Smart Ring has a stainless steel body and is water and dust-resistant; however, Pebble says that "prolonged exposure to water can damage the device" and advises users to remove it "before any water-related activity." The Pebble Halo Smart Ring weighs 190g, has Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and comes in six sizes (7 to 12). You can buy one in black, silver, or gold color starting July 4 in India through Pebble's official website or Flipkart. Pebble Halo Smart Ring's color options The Pebble Halo Smart Ring is priced at INR7,999 ($95/€80), but you can get it at a special launch price of INR3,999 ($45/€40) if you pre-book one through Pebble's website.

Pebble launches Halo smart ring: Price, specs and more about India's first-ever smart ring with digital display
Pebble launches Halo smart ring: Price, specs and more about India's first-ever smart ring with digital display

Time of India

time02-07-2025

  • Time of India

Pebble launches Halo smart ring: Price, specs and more about India's first-ever smart ring with digital display

Domestic smartwatch brand Pebble has expanded its product portfolio in India with the launch of a smart ring, the Halo Smart Ring. The company claims it is India's first smart ring to feature a digital display. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As per the company, Halo Smart Ring is designed for consumers who seek technology that integrates with their style. The latest smart ring features health tracking, time display, and gesture-based controls within a splashproof, dustproof, stainless steel ring. The device monitors heart rate, tracks sleep, and measures activity levels. It also displays step count, heart rate, time, and battery percentage directly on the ring's surface. Pebble Halo smart ring: Price, specs and more Here are all the details about the price and key features of the Pebble Halo smart ring: Category Details Pre-booking Price Rs 3,999 (special launch price) MRP Rs 7,999 Availability Flipkart and Pebble's official website Sale Date July 4 Smart Features Camera control, "Find My Ring" function, gesture controls, sports modes, water resistance Gesture Functions Works with social media apps, camera, e-book readers, and built-in games Battery Life Up to 4 days Health Metrics (Implied but not specified in excerpt) Sizes Available Sizes 7 to 12 Colour Options Black, Gold, Silver Target Audience Users focused on fashion, style, and technology Commenting on the launch, Komal Agarwal, co-founder of Pebble, said: ' Halo isn't just a wearable—it's a statement. We've designed it for a new generation that wants their tech to be invisible when it needs to be and iconic when it counts. HALO combines subtle elegance with smart innovation – a true testament of tech meeting fashion.' The company also said that the Halo smart ring is targeted towards fitness lovers, fashion-forward users, tech enthusiasts and anyone seeking a sleek, functional wearable.

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