At MWC this year, ASBOtech showed off what SemiAccurate considers to be the first useful wearable device. Their new BFR9000 smart ring actually does something worthwhile for the user.
Readers of SemiAccurate have long known we are rather critical of new tech that is more solution looking for a problem than anything that anyone actually needs. The problem is that many companies don’t realize the difference between can and should. We CAN make a 5G watch with 73 features and a touch screen, but SHOULD you make a device is a 6 hour battery life and a screen so small you can’t click on anything accurately? Sure it may cost $1999 and paid for influencers and analysts will rave about it as they are told to, but woe betide anyone paying for it.
There are dozens of variants of this stupidity all over the tech world, and MWC 2026 was no exception. Watches, rings, glasses, and may other idiotic form factors abound at the show, all promise to make your life better, do everything you need, and fill the sky with rainbows. When you look at what the offerings actually are in a critical light, you come to a radically different conclusion than the paid shills. They are all crap.
That said, SemiAccurate found one exception at the show, The ASBOtech BFR9000 SmartRing. This new smart ring seems to do what no other device in it’s class does, actually make your life better. It is useful, has the right form factor, and most of the features you would want in such a smart ring.
This isn’t damning it with faint praise though, it is worthy out of the box, but there are some other features SemiAccurate would like the device to have. The ASBOtech reps at MWC were quite open about their development plans and future models, including next year’s BFR10000 model which fills in most of the gaps in our smart ring wish list.
The BFR9000 is a feature rich smart ring with a claimed one week plus battery life that gets over a day’s charge in 20 minutes from a capable USB-C charger. Most of the useful modes are fairly low power usage so SemiAccurate doesn’t doubt their battery life claims. The one thing we questioned ASBOtech about is the location of the USB-C port, something that is moved to the back on the BFR1000, see bottom picture for more.
First generation smart ring hits all the right marks
The highlight of the BFR9000 feature list is tooth detection. The LLM ASBOtech trained on can differentiate between a molar and an incisor even without the telltale snap that each makes, kinetic engagement alone is enough. Each tooth is individually recorded even with multiple uses in the same touch. While SemiAccurate wasn’t able to test this at MWC, tempting as it was at some booths, the claim seems plausible with current technology.
Another quite useful feature is the very accurate 6-axis accelerator, that is movement and rotation across 3-axis each for the uninitiated. With this the BFR9000 can easily detect the difference between bottling someone and engaging them in conversation with a more pedestrian solid object. It will flag multiple engagements with a single partner and of course call out quick changes between people. This feature is very accurate.
The best part comes when you download the data after an evening’s use. The ASBOtech software will analyze your use and give you tips on improving your form, how to engage customers faster and more accurately, and how to fend off unintended requests for attention from those not quickly engaged. If you are looking to improve your form, the ASBOtech BFR9000 is by far the best way to do that, a truly useful smart ring backed by helpful software.
Updated BFR10000 packs a punch
As we mentioned earlier, next generation smart ring, BFR10000, is coming in late 2027. This new model solves the two largest problems we have with the 9000, charger and camera. As we mentioned earlier, the 10000 moves the USB port to the rear of the device so there will be a lot less cleaning to do. Sure both models are waterproof and quite sturdy but picking out coagulated bits from a USB-C port is tedious. The BFR10000 solves that problem neatly.
That brings us to the elephant in the room. One of the joys of engaging customers is the looks of joy on their faces when you help them out with your smart devices. The BFR9000 lacks a camera to automatically do this, and no, tooth detection does not make up for it, that is purely for data analysis and form improvement. The BFR10000 finally adds a camera to the mix so you can see their happy faces. Better yet the software will automatically tag all events to pictures and put them on an intuitive timeline chart for you. This feature was still being developed at MWC but the early beta was promising enough.
If you are looking for a smart ring, look no further than the ASBOtech BFR9000. It is on sale now for $299 at most electronics retailers. football club shops, and upscale pubs near you, no need to wait for the BFR10000. If you want a different look from the traditional brass tones, you can get a BFR9000 anodized in black or silver for $319 but we recommend the classic look, it is hard to beat.S|A
Charlie Demerjian
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