Oura has no plans to remove the subscription requirement tied to most features of its latest smart ring, pushing back against criticism that the recurring fee makes the device less competitive in a growing wearables market.
The Oura Ring 4, which retails from about $349, offers only limited functionality without an active membership. A subscription, priced at $6 per month or $69 per year, is required to unlock detailed sleep analysis, continuous heart rate tracking, skin temperature and blood oxygen monitoring, as well as stress, cycle tracking and experimental features through Oura Labs.
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Some rival products, including Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, do not charge subscription fees and are often sold at lower upfront prices. Oura Chief Executive Tom Hale said the company views its approach as central to its strategy, arguing that the recurring revenue supports deeper data analysis and sustained improvements over time. He said the subscription is designed to deliver “increasing value” as new features are added and existing algorithms are refined.
Oura says subscription income is reinvested into research and development, allowing the company to prioritize accuracy and long-term insights rather than frequent hardware refreshes. Hale said this model reduces pressure on customers to upgrade devices as often as with some competing wearables.
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The company reports that it now has several million paying subscribers, with about three-quarters using the app multiple times per week. Oura expects revenue of around $1.5 billion in its 2026 fiscal year, and the company was valued at roughly $11 billion in late 2025, underscoring investor confidence in its subscription-based business model.
Source: Bloomberg