Circular 2 – Hype or Hope?

I’ve received quite a few questions about the new Circular model. No wonder – Circular kicked off a solid hype wave and turned Kickstarter into a cash cow once again.

In this article, we’ll break down what Circular 2 promises, my experience with previous models, and whether I’d actually buy this ring as a regular human being.

Let’s dive in 💥

My Experience So Far

I have three Circular rings at home – one PRO and two Slims. They all work. Well… almost.
One day, they just stopped syncing with the cloud, and the Circular app simply stopped showing any data.

Customer support? Their answer was: “It can’t be fixed. But hey, we’ll give you a discount on Circular 2.”

But then... I tried pairing the rings with a new account and voilà – they worked again.
So the problem wasn’t with the rings – it was on their server.

And technical support?
With a bit of sarcasm, I’d say Circular’s tech support is like Mrs. Columbo – rumored to exist, but no one’s ever actually seen her.

Because the moment I tried pairing any of my Circulars with a fresh account – boom, everything started working again!

So, It’s pretty clear that Circular has shifted its focus to its new flagship – the Circular 2.

Circular 2 – What Does It Promise?

Circular 2 is, for now, the gold standard of marketing brochures – boasting 140+ biometric features and, most notably, claiming first place when it comes to ECG.

I think ECG is an interesting feature, but its marketing appeal still seems to outweigh any real-life benefits – at least for now.

On paper, Circular 2 looks seriously impressive – titanium design, wireless charging, heart rate tracking every 2 minutes (allegedly 5x more frequent than typical wearables), HRV, SpO₂, body temperature, respiratory rate, sleep stages, steps, distance, calories, VO₂ max... and even menstrual and ovulation predictions for women.

All of this is supposed to be available without any subscription – a classic jab at Oura Ring, where you have to pay a monthly fee to unlock detailed metrics.

What’s also interesting – or rather concerning – is how Circular keeps playing the crowdfunding game. The way they do it doesn’t sit well with me.
For example, once they hit one million in funding, we, the “crowd,” unlocked size 5 – like a herd unlocking features with cash.

At 1.5 million, we did unlock blood pressure – yet another ambitious milestone no one has truly conquered so far.
It’s as if all that matters is hitting that number, rather than actually developing a precise and useful solution. Just like that 🤌

If Circular didn’t already have two previous ring models behind it, I’d seriously think this was an obvious scam.

What’s next? Blood glucose monitoring? Vibrations for a discreet alarm?

That said, it’s worth pointing out that Circular 2 actually does not have vibrations – even though customer support initially claimed it did.
From my perspective, this is a huge step backward compared to the first generation.

One of the original Circular’s main selling points was the discreet vibrating alarm right on your finger – and now, it’s gone.
It’s not something the company highlights much in its marketing, but as a fan of the original idea, I found this really disappointing.

One big win for the "second gen" is the new charging system.
The annoying little charging pins are finally gone – Circular 2 now charges wirelessly, right inside its case.

A small step for a ring, a giant leap for everyday convenience.

What Does the Community Say?

As I’ve already hinted, Circular has a shadow trailing behind – made up of frustrated users.
There are plenty of reasons why many of them aren’t exactly happy – unfinished refunds, unresolved complaints, endless delays in delivery, and more.

To his credit, the company’s CEO (Amaury Kosman) posted a rather honest and thoughtful message on Reddit, admitting past mistakes and promising “a new chapter.”

As for me? I’d like to believe him.

A New Chapter for Circular – My Honest Thoughts as a Co-Founder
byu/Circular_Orange inCircularRing

The comments under his post were mostly skeptical – though a few people did appreciate the honesty, at least.

But overall, the dominant vibe is distrust, rooted in past experiences: frustration over delayed deliveries, complaints about inaccurate data, questionable build quality, and poor communication from support.

Circular 2 vs. the Competition

Compared to the Oura Ring 4 – still the best-known smart ring on the market – Circular 2 does offer some advantages on paper.
No monthly fee, for one. And then there’s the ECG, which Oura doesn’t support at all.

That said, Oura has a solid lead in terms of proven accuracy, years of algorithm tuning, and millions of rings already sold.

When it comes to the Ultrahuman Ring Air, Circular 2 positions itself more as a medically accurate device – ECG, promised blood pressure – while Ultrahuman leans more into performance optimization, metabolism tracking, and biohacking-style features.

So, Would I Buy It?

Sure, I get the hype. I get the FOMO. On paper, this really does look like a breakthrough in the world of smart rings.
But we've seen promises like this before.

And given Circular’s history – with more than a few unhappy users along the way – I’m staying cautious.
For someone looking to buy their first (or only) smart ring, I’d say: try something else for now, or at least wait a bit.

Which brings me to another thing: Circular hasn’t sent the Gen 2 ring to anyone for a proper review - not even to me, the self-declared Lord of the Smart Rings.
They’re clearly keeping tight control over what gets out. The ring seems finished – so what are we waiting for?

From where I’m standing, it looks like a very calculated marketing + business move: milk the cow for as long – and as thoroughly – as possible.
So far, they’re only releasing what they want us to see.

Well played.

Anyway – I did back the campaign. And once the ring arrives, I’m more than happy to be pleasantly surprised.

But I have to admit, right now I’m wrapped in a mix of skepticism and disappointment.
Why? Because I used to be a big fan of Circular – or more precisely, of its original idea: a smart ring with vibrations, and a discreet alarm you could wear on your finger.

Call yourself whatever you want now – ECG champion, health tracker, whatever – but without vibrations, it’s just not the same Circular I once fell in love with.

So to sum it up:
On paper, Circular 2 looks impressive – but the brand still has a lot of trust to earn back.
And the lack of vibrations? For me, that’s a clear step backwards, no matter how fancy the new features sound.

And hey – if I came off a bit too sarcastic in this review, maybe I’m just setting the stage...
...for a dramatic comeback and a glowing review of the best smart ring ever made. 😉

Video - version

...later