IMIKI Ring smart ring review: smart minimalism on your finger

Nowadays, anything can be «smart»: a camera, a vacuum cleaner, a doorbell, and even a ring. The latter option has been filled with electronics for a certain amount of time, but budget smart rings have appeared relatively recently. In this review, using the example of the IMIKI Ring smart ring, we’ll see if this gadget can replace a smartwatch, or at least just become a useful assistant for a modern person and a stylish piece of jewelry at the same time.

Technical characteristics of IMIKI Ring

Dimensions	8,9,10,11,12
Wireless technologies	Bluetooth 5.2
Degree of dust and moisture protection	5 ATM
Features	Step counting, blood oxygen level, sleep monitoring, heart rate tracking, workout data recording, health monitoring, multiple sports modes, camera control
Battery type	Li-Pol
Battery capacity	18 mAh
Charging method	Magnet
Working hours	5-7 days, up to 14 days in standby mode
Body	Stainless steel
Weight	3.7 grams
Color	Silver
Support	Android + iOS OS
Equipment	Smart ring, charging cable, instructions

Packaging and equipment

IMIKI Ring comes in a compact white box with a ring pattern.

There is another box inside, and it contains the smart ring, documentation, and magnetic charger.

Design and ergonomics

IMIKI Ring — wide ring without patterns in silver or gold color. The material of the ring is stainless steel. It weighs 3.7 grams and comes in sizes from 8 to 12. In my case, I had a size 10, and on manufacturer’s website you can look at the size chart and choose one for yourself.

On the outside of the ring, we see a completely smooth mirror surface with only one oval black area. This is where the LED is built in, and the touch surface is located.

On the inner rim of the IMIKI Ring we see a number of sensors and sensors, the name of the ring and its size, and a round contact for magnetic charging.

IMIKI Ring looks stylish and modern. For fans of silver and gold, there are matching colors, so no one will be left out.

For maximum convenience, especially if you use touch controls or gestures, it is recommended to wear the ring on your index or middle finger. Therefore, select the size for them.

The ring is comfortable to wear, and you can hardly feel it on your finger. And this «almost» is related to my thin wedding ring. And if you have a wide wedding ring, you won’t notice the difference and will forget about the smart ring the next day.

IMIKI Ring is water and dust resistant and can be immersed in water. So you can easily wash your hands, take a shower, swim, play sports, etc.

Of course, if I worked in production, construction, or other similar hard work, I would probably scratch it somewhere. But if you have a different job, then this will definitely not happen.

IMIKI Ring features and controls

IMIKI Ring has similar functions to fitness trackers. The smart ring can track physical activity, i.e. measure steps, calories, and distance traveled. It can monitor sleep, its duration and quality. It measures heart rate, reminds you to move, and reminds you to drink water. There is also an SpO2 sensor and stress level measurement.

The smart ring also has about 100 sports modes, so everyone will find their type of activity here. The official IMIKI Ring website says that the smart ring can automatically detect and track sports activities, including running, cycling, walking, etc. But this is not the case. I deliberately did my usual exercises for several days and did not turn on the sports mode, but the ring did not recognize or record anything. So you still have to look for your activities in the list in the app and turn them on with your hands.

I checked the accuracy of heart rate and SpO2 measurements with the Amazfit GTS 2 smartwatch and with a regular pharmacy «peg», which also measures heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. The measurements were approximately equal, but the watch and the «clothespin» showed plus or minus the same, while the smart ring overestimated the number of steps taken by 5-10%.

IMIKI Ring has gesture and touch controls. With this feature, the smart ring can help you take calls, flip through an e-book, switch tracks in a player, record videos, or take photos remotely with the camera of a connected smartphone.

The ring has a Smart Touch function to prevent the touch zone from reacting to every phantom touch. You need to activate it in the app and set the sleep time (from 1 to 5 minutes). If the sensor is not touched for the selected time, it deactivates, which helps to avoid unnecessary presses.

I recommend setting a minute here because if it’s more, you can easily touch it with another finger, pick something up, etc.

If you want to «wake up the» ring, you just tap the touch zone twice. Detailed instructions on touch and gesture control are available in the documentation for the ring, which is in Ukrainian, and in the app itself.

In practice, the controls are not complicated at all, but it definitely takes some getting used to and more than a day. It took me about five days, but I did it purely for review. Because for my real daily use of the ring, I don’t need all these funky ring features. I don’t need to switch tracks, e-book pages, etc. It’s a cool extra bonus, but it’s definitely not for everyone. And it will take some time to get used to it, to memorize the movements or the number of touches, etc.

Connection and application

IMIKI Ring connects to your device in a simple and easy way. Just to be safe, charge the ring, then turn on Bluetooth on your device and download the proprietary app. Then it will recognize the device, offer to connect and immediately update the software.

IMIKI Ring works with the IMIKI app. This is an easy-to-understand and navigate program that is very similar to those of any modern smartwatch or fitness tracker. It provides detailed information about physical activity, sleep and stress, blood oxygen measurements, and other various metrics.

You can also use the app to select and activate the desired sports mode during training, turn on/off touch and gesture controls, customize them, and more. You can also activate reminders for physical activity and water drinking, and there are also simple games. In the latter case, of course, you control the ring. I advise you to try it because it trains your interaction with it and helps you get used to this kind of control faster.

Autonomy of IMIKI Ring

IMIKI Ring has a built-in 18 mAh battery. For such a small device, it’s pretty cool. The claim is up to a week of battery life with touch or gesture control and up to 15 days without it. In my case, with active touch and gesture control plus daily hour-long workouts, the watch worked for 5 days. But what I mean by that is that there were 5 days of touch, and then 5 days of gesture. It’s probably not worth turning on both, although some functions are not duplicated. It will just be even less.

I’ve been wearing the ring for five days now with the controls turned off and with workout tracking, and the battery is at 55%. That is, theoretically, the battery will last for 10 days. Not 15 as stated, which means that we have a shortfall of one third of the stated time. A full charge from 0 to 100% takes an hour and a half.

Experience of use

I liked IMIKI Ring visually. In terms of functionality, this is, of course, a limitation, so this device is definitely not for everyone. Probably, the main reason not to buy a smart ring will be the availability of fitness trackers in stores, but this is still an element of personal preference. Some people don’t like wearing anything on their wrists, but they like rings. Some people like it on the contrary.

Smart rings don’t offer as many features as fitness trackers, let alone full-fledged smartwatches with an OS. On the other hand, a smart ring provides all the basic functions for monitoring health and sleep in a different, much smaller and more discreet form.

IMIKI Ring looks cool on men’s or women’s hands. At least for my taste. Of course, you need to choose the size, and it’s good that there are five options plus two colors.

At first, it was a no-no and a yes for me, but after two weeks of using it, I still think that such a smart ring is the best fit for my situation. The fact is that I stopped wearing a smartwatch about two months ago because I was tired of constant notifications and too much digitalization of myself. My phone and laptop are enough to keep me connected for work, personal affairs, or hobbies, and the smartwatch was more of a just-to-have because I was used to it.

Recently, it started to annoy me, so I went back to my classic favorite Casio W-800H, which I’m glad about. But there is still a loose end with tracking physical activity and sleep that I would like to control. That’s why this ring closes it.

If you, like me, are tired of smartwatches and are thinking of going back or have already switched to regular watches, then pay attention to such smart rings. They won’t bother you with unnecessary notifications, but at the same time, they will give you the opportunity to monitor your condition.

Such a gadget will definitely appeal to people who like various accessories, especially on their hands. And it will also be a smart piece of jewelry.

It’s a pity that they didn’t add an NFC module, which most competitors have. This is a very convenient thing for paying in stores, when you don’t even need to take out your phone, but just literally put your finger on it.

Price and competitors

IMIKI Ring is sold for 1999 hryvnias. In my opinion, this is an adequate price, but for some people it will be expensive, because you can buy a fitness tracker for the same money. But it’s all about preferences, and competitors cost about the same or more.

In general, I have to say that there are very few smart rings on the Ukrainian market, even in the «gray» segment because there are quite a few similar models available now, in different price categories with additional features, etc.

Pay attention toJakcom R4 (price from 1400 UAH) andJakcom R5 with a price tag of 2600 hryvnias. Both are equipped with an NFC. And there are alsoSamsung Galaxy Ring 10 with a price tag of 20,500 hryvnias. This is a different category with much wider capabilities, but it costs accordingly.