Colmi R09 review: can a $20 smart ring replace an Apple Watch at night?
A week of sleep tracking with the $20 Colmi R09 next to an Apple Watch Ultra. The sleep data matched. The sizing guide didn't.
About this site
I sell for a living, and most of the day is calls. The monitors, earbuds, mics and watches here are the ones I bought for that job, scored after weeks on the desk, with the price I paid. How I test
News
All newsApple's EU sheet for the iPhone Duo: a 4,883 mAh battery, the same endurance as the iPhone 18 Pro, and a lower repair score
Apple's EU product sheet gives the iPhone Duo a 4,883 mAh battery and 51.5 hours of rated endurance, 30 minutes less than the iPhone 18 Pro. Its repairability index is 2.65 out of 5, against 3.14 for the 18 Pro.
Verizon will charge $10 a month for iPhone Handoff, twice T-Mobile's price. AT&T has no plans.
iPhone Handoff, the iOS 27 feature that moves one phone number between two iPhones, will cost $10 a month on Verizon. T-Mobile charges $5. AT&T has no plans.
iPhone Duo sold out in 30 minutes. New orders ship in late January.
By 5:30 a.m. Pacific on pre-order day, Apple's US store showed a January 25 ship date for every iPhone Duo model. Resale listings run about $1,800 over Apple's price.
All reviews
By category
7.0Colmi R09, the $20 smart ring
The sleep data matched my Apple Watch. Colmi’s sizing guide didn’t.Should you buy it?
7.5Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 after a month
Nobody in a client meeting has noticed the camera. Two things still hold them back.Should you buy them?
4.0Gawfolk GF005 after two weeks
Same brand as my main monitor, an unusual shape, and a very different score.Should you buy it?
8.0Gawfolk GF270J after two weeks
Budget 4K at a refresh rate Macs rarely get. Two weeks in, one thing I miss.Should you buy it?
7.0SoloCast after three years
Three years of calls. Then I moved it 15 cm and people stopped hearing me.Should you buy it?
7.0AirPods Pro 3 after 10 months and 3 pairs
Ten months, three pairs, and I still reach for them first.Should you buy them?
6.0Apple Watch Ultra (1st gen) after watchOS 27
Apple dropped it from watchOS 27. That changes who should buy one used.Should you buy it?
Buying guides
All guidesHow to set up two monitors with a MacBook in 2026: which Macs can, which cables, and should one go vertical?
Any M4 or M5 MacBook drives two external monitors with the lid open. Give each screen its own cable, skip cheap dual-HDMI hubs, and put the second one in portrait only if it's for chat and email.
Best smart glasses for work in 2026: Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, Gen 3, Audio, Display or Even G2?
Buy the $379 Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 for a strong call mic and a camera in frames you can wear to a client meeting. When the $449 Gen 3, the camera-free $349 Audio, the $599 Even G2 or the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display is the better buy.
Best microphone for video calls in 2026: USB mic, earbuds or boom arm?
Keep any mic within 15 cm of your mouth. At a desk, buy the $59.99 HyperX SoloCast 2 or a $149 Shure MV6 on a boom arm. On the road, which earbuds sound best on calls.
Best earbuds for work calls and travel in 2026: AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 5, Sony or Samsung?
On an iPhone, buy the $249 AirPods Pro 3 with AppleCare. On Android, the $249 Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. When the $149 AirPods 5 are enough, and who should pay $330 for Sony's WF-1000XM6.
Best monitor for a MacBook Pro in 2026: picks at $300, $700 and $1,599
Buy a 27-inch 4K that runs at 120Hz or faster. I work 15-hour days on a $300 one. When 5K, OLED or Apple's Studio Display is worth paying more for.
Best sleep tracker in 2026: ring, band or watch?
Wear a ring to bed. Start with the $20 Colmi R09, then move to a $349 RingConn Gen 3 if it sticks. How Oura, Whoop, Fitbit Air and Apple Watch compare on price, battery and subscriptions.
HomeView or HomePod mini 2: which Apple home device to preorder
Buy the $149 HomePod mini 2 if you want a speaker for your Mac or a room. Pay $299 for the tabletop HomeView only if you want Siri AI on a screen from day one. Skip the wall model.
Field notes
All notesBuilding with AI without outsourcing taste
Where I let AI do the work, where I only let it help, and how I tell the two apart.
The outbound system that helped double revenue
Four years of building and fixing outbound at two B2B SaaS companies, and what each step did to the numbers.
How I built a SaaS alone and shipped it to the App Store
Seven apps that didn't talk to each other, one codebase for web and iOS, and eleven days of App Store review.
If you make desk gear, email me what it is. I’ll tell you how I’d test it and whether it fits this desk. You read the review when everyone else does.