While smartwatches and bracelets are finding a foothold in the wearable-tech space, another device is also starting to heat up: smart rings.
Following up on its sleek smart bracelet released in 2013, MOTA has unveiled a smart ring that takes up less space on your body, but still promises the same kind of smartphone-notification interactivity.
[seealso slug="wearable-technology-history"]
Officially announced at Berlin's IFA consumer-electronics show, the MOTA SmartRing is designed as a notifications hub for your finger, delivering updates when you have new text messages, email, calendar events and incoming calls.
Optimized for use with both Android and iOS devices, the smart ring can also deliver Twitter and Facebook notifications, as shown on MOTA's website. Offered in "midnight black" and "pearl white," the ring also has a silent vibration mode that can be tailored to deliver different vibration patterns for your smartphone contacts.
Currently, there are only high-resolution renderings of the MOTA SmartRing, but a video showing MOTA's Smartwatch G2 in action suggests that the company is capable of successfully transferring this technology to a ring.
We've seen ring-like devices before on crowdfunding sites, but this entry from an established manufacturer suggests a trend toward producing smart rings in the near future.
However, early consumer reviews of MOTA's first smartwatch were mixed, so it may be too early to get excited about the smart ring's capabilities.
Either way, we'll find out soon, as the company is set to ship the device later this year (no price has been announced yet). More details will likely trickle out at IFA after Sept. 5.