With the release of its Vision Pro headset, Apple recently introduced a completely new product. However, a recent report suggests the company may be about to launch a completely different product—a smart ring. That sounds fascinating, but we have a lot of questions about it.
A report from the Korean outlet ETNews agency thus claims that Apple is about to release a new smart ring to take on competitors like Oura and Samsung’s upcoming device (machine-translated version). In doing so, Apple might be able to enter a market that is still in its infancy relatively early and thus have an opportunity to create another successful product.
Apple’s smart ring is almost here, according to an “industry insider” that ETNews cited. The source stated, “Apple has been consistently releasing patents related to smart rings for several years, so advanced development for commercialization appears to be imminent.”
Apple has indeed been submitting patent applications for smart rings left, right, and center. The concepts covered by those patents included integrating a touchscreen for easy controls and utilizing the ring to connect to other Apple devices.
That might all appear to be pretty convincing. But does that mean that, compared to, say, a year ago, the ring is any closer to being ready? We’re not so sure.
To begin with, the act of filing for a patent does not always signify that a product is ready for release. Since at least 2007, there have been rumors that Apple was developing the smart ring, and the company has been applying for patents on the technology for years. A patent does not ensure the release of a product; Apple reserves the right to investigate concepts before determining not to move forward with the project.
In addition, Apple has been pushing the Vision Pro very hard in recent years. A reputation leaker claimed in 2023 that the company removed staff from various departments to concentrate on the headset (which explains why last year’s software releases were so minimal). Given how much of Apple’s resources the massive Vision Pro has been consuming, it is difficult to think that a smart ring will ever be ready.
However, this does not mean that we can completely rule out Apple starting to work on a smart ring; who knows, we might see one sooner than we think. However, you should not spend a lot of money on it happening this year.
