- [Host] Using technology to learn about your health
is pretty cool, but not everyone wants a smartwatch
or even a fitness band.
Fortunately, it's 2018, so, someone figured out
how to wrap that technology around your finger.
I'm Mr. Mobile, and this is the Motiv Ring.
(relaxed upscale music)
When I first handled this ring at CES it was so small
and light that I thought it was a show-floor dummy.
It's hard to believe there's any technology in here,
let alone a battery big enough to power it.
Most of that is invisible.
The accelerometer is internal, and the optical
heart-rate sensor faces your finger when being worn.
So the only evidence this is more than a regular ring
is the single LED, which is usually off.
The whole package is encased in a titanium outer shell
rated waterproof to five atmospheres.
If I had to find one complaint about the hardware,
it's that, I guess, it's a little wide;
otherwise, it's as refined as it gets.
To put that hardware to use
you need to fire up the Motiv app.
Instead of just counting your steps,
the app blends that data with the continuous
heart-rate tracking to get a sense
of how many active minutes you log during the day.
The American Heart Association recommends
about 30 active minutes a day, five days outta the week.
The app periodically gives you cards,
letting you know how close you are to hitting that goal,
or if it needs you to confirm that it's an activity
it tracked was correct, it'll throw up a card for that, too.
The ring syncs with your phone automatically via Bluetooth,
and if you want, you can force a sync
by spinning it around on your finger three times,
which is kinda fun.
Also, because the ring is so small and light,
it's a pretty great sleep tracker.
I wore it alongside a Fitbit Ionic
for my three-day review period,
and each morning I enjoyed checking each one
to see how well I'd slept,
quantified by my resting heart rate
and how much I'd moved during the night.
Two out of two trackers agree: I need more sleep.
Since I brought up the competition,
Motiv does lag behind in features.
Fitbit offers more data about your health
at almost every level;
it's backed up by a huge community of users;
and it lets you track your stats in realtime.
As Wearable's review of the Motiv Ring points out,
"The picture the Ring paints of your health
"is more a retrospective one."
Also, that manual sync doesn't always work.
And, for now, the Motiv app is only available on iOS.
The Android app is expected in the second quarter of 2018.
Again, there aren't many hardware downsides,
but the Ring is reportedly prone to scratches on the finish,
and it doesn't last as long as many fitness bands.
Motiv quotes three days per charge,
which my unit fell just two hours shy of.
I do have to say that's pretty impressive,
considering how tiny this battery is.
Recharge takes 80 minutes,
using a clever and small USB charger.
It's tough to see any shortcomings
in a device that costs 200 bucks,
but Motiv does have some overhead here.
Every buyer first gets a sizing kit in the mail
to match ring to finger, and each ring also comes
with two chargers: one for home and one for your keychain.
More to the point, the Motiv Ring packs the same technology
as some fitness bands in a much smaller prettier package.
If you wear a band or a smartwatch already,
you'll probably find this redundant;
but if you don't wear one of those,
maybe because they're too bulky or flashy,
the Motiv Ring is the fitness tracker
you've been waiting for,
maybe just a glimpse into a future
of many more connected wearable devices.
"He was just paid to say that."
No, I was not.
The only people paying for this video
are the fine folks at Thrifter.com.
They're not just my sponsor.
Thrifter is a new way to save money
on everything from gadgets to home goods
by shopping based on value and not hype.
Check out the latest deals at Thrifter.com,
and tell 'em Mr. Mobile sent ya.
That Fitbit Ionic review is coming up soon, folks.
Subscribe so you don't miss it,
and let me know what you think of the Motiv Ring
down in the comments.
Until next time, thanks for watching,
and stay mobile, my friends.