Acer dropped a surprise at Computex 2025—a lightweight smart ring called the FreeSense. I stacked it up against the Oura Ring 4 to see if this budget-friendly newcomer can really compete.
No one expected Acer to launch the FreeSense, a lightweight smart ring, at the Computex event in Taipei this week. Known mostly for laptops and gaming computers, Acer just threw its hat into the smart wearables industry—one currently dominated by Oura and Samsung. And, while I had my doubts, the new ring delivered. It’s AI-driven, has 24-7 biometric tracking, and no subscription fees. The price? Around $199–$250. I might already be sold. Move over Oura Ring 4?
The Oura Ring 4, for its part, is hands-down the most popular smart ring of 2025…so far. Stylish and comfortable, it has a reputation for precise sleep monitoring, comprehensive health metrics, and easy use. But, it’s expensive ($349–$499) and requires a monthly subscription fee of $5.99/month.
As a tech reviewer, I prefer gadgets without subscriptions. Call me old-fashioned and cranky, but I think customers shouldn’t have to keep paying to use a product they already bought. But then again, I only recommend the very best, and Oura’s been the gold standard for years.
So, do we finally have a real contender to the Oura Ring 4 in 2025? I took a close look at both rings to decide. Here’s what I discovered:
Let’s Talk Price: Is the Oura Ring Really Worth it?
Now that we’ve set the stage for a smart ring showdown, let’s talk about the first things most of us check—the price.
Oura Ring 4
The Oura Ring 4 starts at $349 for Silver and Black, climbs to $399 for Brushed Silver and Stealth, and maxes out at $499 for Gold. But, that sleek ring is just the beginning. If you want to see more than just a basic overview of your health, you’ll need to subscribe to the Oura Membership program, which costs $5.99/month or $69.99 per year.
What does the subscription include? Pretty much everything that makes the Oura shine: Daily Readiness scores, advanced sleep staging, blood oxygen leveles, heart rate variability, stress tracking, automatic activity detection, and long-term trends. Without a subscription, you’re limited to 3 daily scores and barebones settings—so pretty lackluster.
Acer FreeSense
For its part, Acer hasn’t officially announced a price for the FreeSense, but representatives at Computex have indicated a price range of around $199 to $250—much more affordable than Oura’s $349–$499. Unlike the Oura Ring 4, you don’t need a subscription to access your complete health data. That means you get all your health insights (heart rate, SpO2, sleep metrics, and more) right out of the box, just like wearables from Amazfit and Ultrahuman.
We expect the official retail price in August when the ring launches, but this early estimate already places acer as a far more budget-friendly device.
Design That Fits: Which Ring Feels Better for 24/7 Wear?
As a working mom, my wearables have to blend seamlessly into my daily life—they’ll come with me to bus stop runs, work, workouts, and after-school activities—so no snags allowed. And I won’t allow any hiccups for you, either. Here’s how the Oura Ring 4 and Acer FreeSense compare in terms of design.
Oura Ring 4
Wearability is one area where the Oura Ring 4 really stands out. The all-titanium frame is nearly level inside—unlike its predecessor, the sensors are recessed into the ring. With this shape, the ring stays in place during sleep, and is also comfortable to wear during the day. Reviewers across the web have said they barely notice it during gym workouts, errands, and other activities that necessitate use of the hands. Overall, the Oura Ring 4 looks like modern jewellery, and this makes it fun and easy to wear—it won’t end up in your tech junk drawer.
Acer FreeSense
Journalists at Computex weren’t allowed to wear the Acer FreeSense, so I can only speculate about how it feels. But, according to the first reports, the new ring is lightweight. It clocks in at just 2-3 grams, depending on the ring size, a weight most users would find nearly imperceptible. The material is a titanium alloy and comes in Black and Rose Gold. Yes, the color options are fewer than those of the Oura Ring 4. Generally, though, I like the style. It’s minimalist and no-nonsense, qualities you might be looking for in a smart ring.
Health Features: Which Ring Tracks the Most?
Design is nice, sure—but if you’re buying a smart ring, you’re really in it for the health data. So how do these 2 stack up?
Oura Ring 4
The Oura Ring 4 has some of the most complete health tracking available—if you’re willing to pay the extra $69.99 per year for the subscription. With it, you get detailed sleep stage analysis, blood oxygen tracking, stress and recovery, heart rate variability, women’s health tracking, and even cardiovascular health. That’s a lot! Without a subscription, you can only view your Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores, along with your basic profile and device settings.
Acer FreeSense
True to its name, the Acer FreeSense is definitely a little freer in what it offers customers. In fact, it has all the health monitoring features you’d expect from a smart ring, and it’s all included in the price. That’s right, it tracks heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, and sleep quality as well as your steps—for no extra cost. Now that’s the kind of product I like to recommend.
I must note, though, that there’s no way to test the FreeSense’s tracking accuracy at the moment. So we’ll have to take Acer’s word for it. If it’s significantly less accurate than the Oura Ring 4, that would be something I’d take into consideration before buying the product. The information will be available after the product’s release.
All in all, the word from the event is that Acer representatives are touting the sleep monitoring features with this one. Apparently, the sleep analysis can distinguish between sleep stages, ranging from REM to deep sleep. Better sleep, for cheap? Yes please!
Battery Life: Which ring keeps up?
Wearables with longer battery lives tend to get worn more. So, which smart ring wins the battery life challenge here?
Oura Ring 4
The Oura Ring 4 flaunts an impressive battery life of up to 8 days on a single charge. That estimate assumes typical daily use: all-day ring wear, an hour of physical activity tracking, and nighttime sleep tracking with battery-hungry features like the Blood Oxygen sensing turned off. Features like these can reduce the battery life by up to 2 days. Still, the Oura is top of the line when it comes to battery life.
Acer FreeSense
Meanwhile, the Acer FreeSense Ring promises up to 4 days of battery life on a full charge, which is solid, but definitely not industry leading. It’s half of what Oura offers. Not bad—especially considering the price and the fact that all features come unlocked without a subscription.
Good news, though! A quick one-hour charge gets you back to 100%. That’s convenient enough for most people to build into a daily or weekly routine. As of now, Acer hasn’t released official battery specs, so we’ll have to wait for testing to see how it competes.
App Experience: Who Nails Usability?
Even the best smart ring falls flat without a solid app. Because the real magic of wearable tech happens on your phone—where sleep cycles, heart rate trends, and stress levels get displayed and transformed into health insights. Let’s see how the Oura Ring 4 and FreeSense apps rate.
Oura App
The Oura app is clean, sleek, and well-designed. It gives you 3 main scores every day—Readiness, Sleep, and Activity—plus a dashboard of detailed biometric trends. It’s color-coded, super easy to read, and packed with insights. You’ll get daily recommendations (like whether to push your workout or take it easy), deep sleep breakdowns, and even guided meditation sessions.
Customization is solid—you can log workouts, menstrual cycles, and tags to track your mood. The app uses this information to adjust its recommendations. Plus, it syncs easily with Apple Health, Google Fit, and other major fitness platforms. But again, most of this is behind that $5.99/month paywall. Without it, the app is very limited—you’ll only see your three daily scores, some basic summaries, and that’s about it.
Acer App
What can you expect from Acer’s app? For now, the interface looks pretty straightforward—the health metrics all display on the home tab. Since it runs on AI, you also get actionable insights from that health data—like if you’re getting enough rest and, if not, what you can do to improve it.
An impressive feature are the gestures. A user can wave “hello” to take a picture with a tablet. It’s an interesting insight into how we might use gadgets like these in the future. I also liked that the app works with both iOS and Android, making it a downright inclusive gadget. Whether you use iPhone or Android, Acer welcomes you!
The Verdict: Acer Vs. Oura
With the information I have, I’m calling it for Acer. The FreeSense Ring offers a solid design, full health features, and a decent battery life–all for much less than the Oura Ring 4. If I wanted a smart ring as an everyday user, I’d wait for the FreeSense’s release. For now, all the information points to a product that offers a ton of value and excellent usability. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that what most of us want?
The Oura Ring 4 is still a great product; well-built product with high-performance sensors. But it’s expensive. It’s best for the health and fashion-conscious among us who also happen to have deep pockets.