Speculations about the Apple Ring

Since the beginning of this year, Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Ring and is expected to officially announce this product on July 10. Meanwhile, Apple has not shown any signs of entering this market in the near future.

According to Apple Insider , the keyword Apple Ring first appeared in 2007, when Yanko Design posted a design for a white ring with a glowing blue Apple logo, called iRing. As envisioned, the ring would work with an iPhone or iPod, with a battery life of two days. Given the level of technology at the time, this idea was considered far-fetched.

Five years later, a Topeka Capital Markets study mentioned an Apple-designed TV and a ring as a key accessory, acting as a navigational pointer for the TV. Motion sensors on the ring could replace some remote control functions. However, no TV was announced by Apple in the aftermath, but the smart ring remained a much-anticipated device.

An image depicting a wearable device from Apple's 2019 patent filing.

By 2019, Cultofmac cited information from an Apple patent describing a device "integrating a computer processor, a wireless transmitter and a rechargeable power source." The iPhone maker is expected to be looking for an alternative to a touchscreen, keyboard and mouse. The design details of this smart ring are similar to the Apple Watch prototype, with a small screen that displays information when connected to an iPhone, iPad and Mac computer.

In 2022, another rumor surfaced that Apple was developing a couple ring that would let the wearer know where the other person was at all times, even if their partner took off the ring. Later, AirTag with similar features appeared, but the iRing remained a rumor.

In 2023, some evidence shows that Apple owns many patents related to smart rings. The latest application approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office on November 28, 2023 is for "electronic systems and ring-shaped devices", meaning that Apple's future products are not limited to the shape of a ring but can be bracelets, necklaces, anklets...

As Samsung prepares to sell its smart ring, the iRing rumor continues to be a hot topic. According to ETNews , after the Galaxy Ring appeared, Apple has seriously considered the plan to announce the Apple Ring, and has filed a patent for an NFC-enabled finger wearable device. An anonymous industry source said that the commercialization of the Apple Ring will take place soon.

According to Electronic Times , Apple is monitoring the market to assess whether smart rings can become an alternative to smartwatches thanks to the ability to be worn longer, especially for sleep tracking.

Statistics from Business Research Insight show that the global smart ring market could increase from 20 million USD in 2023 to nearly 200 million USD in 2031. Apple has many approaches to this market segment, for example, it can use the ring to control other devices such as smartphones, but the company's priority is health monitoring.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/nhung-don-doan-ve-nhan-apple-ring.html