Ultrahuman isn’t done with smart rings just yet. After pulling the Ring Air from the U.S. market due to a patent dispute with Oura, the company is reportedly preparing a comeback with a brand-new wearable: the Ultrahuman Ring Pro. And this time, it might come with a few unexpected tricks, including NFC payments.
Ultrahuman Ring Pro aims to replace Ring Air in the U.S.
Ultrahuman confirmed earlier this year that a new wearable was in the works, following the abrupt stop in U.S. Ring Air sales. The move came after Oura filed a patent infringement complaint, forcing the company to pivot. In a company blog post, Ultrahuman stated that it was working on a new design intended for the U.S. and would launch it “as soon as possible.”
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NFC payments may be coming to Ultrahuman wearables
According to a trademark filing from July 2025, the upcoming Ring Pro may include contactless payment functionality via NFC. The filing mentions downloadable software for contactless transactions through wearable devices strongly pointing toward built-in payment features.
If confirmed, this would put Ultrahuman in a rare category. Few smart rings currently offer NFC tap-to-pay, and adding this would give the Ring Pro an edge over many health-focused competitors that stop short at fitness tracking.
Ultrahuman Ring Pro’s improved sensors and a sleeker form factor
Reports suggest the Ring Pro will be slimmer than the Ring Air, potentially improving comfort for all-day and overnight wear. It’s also expected to include upgraded health sensors, targeting better accuracy for core metrics like:
- Heart rate monitoring
- Blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking
- Sleep analysis
- Activity recognition
These are already central to the Ultrahuman platform, but tighter accuracy could make the Ring Pro a more serious alternative to fitness bands or watches.
Likely release date: late 2025 or early 2026
While no official launch date has been confirmed, reports point to a release either in late 2025 or early 2026. With November nearly over, an early 2026 debut looks more likely though that could shift depending on how quickly Ultrahuman can finalize development and regulatory steps for the U.S. market.
For now, the Ultrahuman Ring Air remains available in Europe, but U.S. customers waiting for the next generation may not have long to wait. If the Ring Pro delivers on both health tracking and NFC payments, it could re-enter the wearables space with a much stronger hand.
