Everything We Know About the Apple Ring
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Over the last few years, Apple has released some exciting new products. Who can forget the always-useful AirTag or the controversial but awesome-looking Apple Vision Pro?
Then, of course, there’s the Apple Car, which, unfortunately, died before it was even born. However, it seems Apple already has its eye on a different product — and a new market it can be part of.
Granted, all of this is speculation at this point, but Apple might be working on a smart ring. Yes, you read that right. The idea isn’t new, and it could become Apple’s new health tracker, joining the Apple Watch.
What would an Apple smart ring would look like? And how would it work? Here’s everything we know.
Is Apple Actually Working on a Smart Ring?
Is this a real product? The short answer is: kind of. At least according to some reputable sources.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is exploring the possibility of developing a “smart ring that would take health-tracking features from the Apple Watch and put them on your finger.”
However, Gurman points out that this is just an idea so far, and the company hasn’t started working on an actual product yet.
On the other hand, in February, South Korea’s ETNews claimed that Apple is paying close attention to how popular a smart ring could be, and the company is supposedly ramping up its development.
There’s no doubt that the smart ring market could be huge for Apple. While there aren’t many competitors, there are some big tech companies interested in this world. The Oura Ring sparked new interest in the category last year, and Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring at its summer Unpacked event this month.
What Would an Apple Smart Ring Look Like?
If Oura and Samsung’s entries are anything to go by, Apple’s smart ring will almost certainly look like a regular ring, although likely a bit thicker, which makes sense when you consider all the tech and sensors Apple needs to add to the ring.
If the Apple Ring ever comes to fruition, we expect Apple to develop something similar to Oura’s ring, a minimal, smart ring with a sleek design.
That said, Apple could go crazy with the design. In 2015, Apple patented a few designs for a possible smart ring that would include a small display. Think of it as a really tiny Apple Watch on your finger.
Of course, patents don’t usually become a reality. Companies patent everything they can think of just in case they use it one day.
The more plausible scenario will be a regular ring with a minimalistic design and the Apple logo somewhere on its body.
What Would an Apple Smart Ring Do?
When it comes to what the Apple Ring could do, there are expectations and then there’s the reality of what today’s technology can handle.
For expectations, we have patents and rumors that suggest this smart ring could let you do a lot of things with just your fingers. For starters, there is the possibility that the Apple Ring could be controlled with gestures.
You would just need to move your hands, and you would get a feedback response from your ring, similar to how you control the Apple Vision Pro.
Speaking of the Apple Vision Pro, rumor has it that you could use gestures and the Apple Ring to better control other Apple devices. Presumably, this would work with visionOS to give you better control over your headset.
There’s also a patent that shows a rotating band on top of the Apple Ring. This would let you control specific things in the ring and get a small feedback response in return.
Unfortunately, while all of these things sound pretty cool, Apple tends to be a bit more cautious with new features, especially with new updates and products. In reality, we mostly expect the Apple Ring to work as a fitness tracker and do what your Apple Watch already does.
For instance, the Apple Ring could potentially help you track your sleep, monitor your heart rate, track your Apple Watch rings, and maybe even track your skin temperature.
There’s also the possiblitiy that Apple’s smart ring would send small vibrations when you get an important notification on your iPhone.
Apple Ring vs. Apple Watch: Why Would You Choose One Over the Other
If the Apple Ring will do the same things the Apple Watch already does, why would you want to buy it? Well, the truth is that if you love your Apple Watch, you probably shouldn’t.
The Apple Ring will try to target a separate audience that doesn’t like wearing smart watches but still wants the benefits that come with them, such as fitness tracking and maybe even getting important notifications without pulling out an iPhone.
That said, there are a few things that the Apple Ring might do better than the Apple Watch. For starters, notifications. Don’t you just feel annoyed by constantly getting vibrations on your wrist throughout the day? If you do, the Apple Ring could help you solve that issue. If Apple only focuses on fitness tracking, the Apple Ring wouldn’t bother you with notifications, or it might only alert you of time-sensitive notifications.
Moreover, since the Apple Ring likely won’t have a screen or many extra features, its battery life should be amazing. In theory, the smart ring could last up to a week with a single charge, which is how long the Oura Ring lasts.
Wearing a ring is also more comfortable than wearing a watch when you go to bed, especially if you have an Apple Watch Ultra. A smaller ring will still give you the benefits of tracking your sleep and heart rate without a sore wrist.
Last but not least, there’s the price. Theoretically, the Apple Ring should be cheaper than the mainstream Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Ultra. For comparison, the latest-gen Oura ring starts at $299, which is more affordable than an Apple Watch Series 9 and way more affordable than the $800 Apple Watch Ultra.
Of course, the Apple Watch SE is still cheaper, but you won’t get the extra features the more expensive Apple Watch models have.
The Apple Ring could fix that issue and give you a “more affordable” option without losing important health features.
Apple Watch Smart Ring Release Date
If you like the idea of an Apple smart ring, I have bad news for you. It seems like the Apple Ring isn’t coming any time soon.
As we mentioned before, it seems the Apple Ring is still just an idea, so it might take a couple of years before we see the first generation.
As for the price, we’re expecting a similar price to the Oura Ring, which, as we mentioned, starts at $300.
Will You Get the Apple Smart Ring?
There’s no doubt that a new product from Apple is always cool. With the possibilities of a smart ring, it would be interesting to see what Apple could do with such a small product.
That said, everything we just discussed is mostly speculation. Needless to say, you should take it with a grain of salt. We’ll have to wait and see if Apple releases a smart ring in the future.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
