Is all this data about our health good for our health?

Welcome back to another week of health wearable news. Here are some of the most notable stories of the week to catch up on. 

Some Oura Ring users report data anxiety 

Is your Oura Ring’s data capture making you anxious? Some users say yes. That’s the latest from a recent New York Times article on the topic. The piece interviews users who have become obsessed or stressed out over the data the smart ring aggregates. 

One user reported compulsively checking her scores and wondering if they were not up to par. Another user with obsessive-compulsive disorder was checking her heart rate data “24/7” and said the ring worsened her condition.  

The Oura Ring is a health and sleep tracker that provides by-the-minute data capture of activities, rest, and stress. Speaking as someone who has used the product for over a year (and received my fair share of poor sleep and recovery scores), it is easy to worry about your health after receiving a low score or a notification that the smart ring has detected “major signs of strain” within its Symptom Radar. 

Also: Oura Ring 3 vs Oura Ring 4: Opt for the older, discounted smart ring or the newest?

You need a healthy amount of patience and levity to continue using these devices after they tell you your resilience to stress is poor or your terrible night of sleep is impacting your recovery. While they can spotlight important changes in your health or even lead to the diagnosis of a disease, if someone is treating the smallest change in their data as an end-all be-all, they probably shouldn’t be wearing a health tracker. 

The Oura Ring, like an Apple Watch, weight scale, or pedometer, is a health-tracking tool that can be used for good or abused. 

I’m curious to know our readers’ thoughts on the subject. Is all this health data more harmful than it is beneficial? Leave a comment below. 

Your next Apple Watch won’t have a camera, according to this rumor

On the heels of Google’s smart glasses debut last week, rumors about Apple’s own potential smart glasses drop are once again swirling. Serial Apple leaker Mark Gurman said the tech brand could release its own version of glasses in 2026. Gurman said they will include cameras, microphones, and speakers and use Siri. 

Though there may be renewed interest in smart glasses, Apple is reportedly turning its attention away from camera functionality on its next Apple Watch. Gurman also said that Apple is cutting that feature on the smartwatch, but we could see it on the AirPods. 

Also: Oura Ring 3 vs Oura Ring 4: Opt for the older, discounted smart ring or the newest?

“The company had actively been working to release a camera-equipped Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra by 2027, but that work was shut down this week, according to the people familiar with the situation,” Gurman wrote.   

Google Health Connect finally supports more wearables and apps

Google I/O, the tech giant’s developer conference, took place last week, and while the keynote focused on AI, it was quieter about updates to Wear OS. But one exciting feature update is coming, and Garmin, Xiaomi, and Runna users are going to be pleased. 

Google Health Connect, a health app that collects and stores health data, will soon support Garmin, Mi Fitness (Xiaomi’s health app), and Runna. Support for these apps arrives in June. 

Additionally, people using Health Connect for medical record storage will also be able to enter medical details, like allergies and immunizations, into apps. 

Samsung Galaxy Ring’s energy score could see an upgrade 

A new firmware update that improves the accuracy of the Galaxy Ring’s energy score is coming soon, according to a Samsung insider site. The firmware, according to the site, has been widely released in Korea and will imminently make its way to other markets. Other updates, like an “Activity Consistency” and a “Sleep Environment Management” feature, could be on the way. The Sleep Environment Management integrates with SmartThings connected devices to optimize your environment for easy sleeping.