Speculation about the Apple Ring

Since the beginning of this year, Samsung has been introducing the Galaxy Ring and is expected to officially announce the product on July 10th. Meanwhile, Apple has shown no signs of entering this market in the near future.

According to Apple Insider , the term "Apple Ring" first appeared in 2007 when Yanko Design posted a design for a white ring with a glowing blue Apple logo, called the iRing. The design envisioned the ring working 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, research by Topeka Capital Markets mentioned a TV designed by Apple, with the ring as a key accessory, acting as a navigation pointer for the TV. The motion-sensing sensor on the ring could replace some remote control functions. However, no TV was ever released by Apple, but the smart ring remains a highly anticipated device.

The image depicts a wearable device in Apple's 2019 patent application.

In 2019, Cultofmac cited information from an Apple patent describing a device "integrating a computer processor, wireless transceiver, and rechargeable power source." The iPhone manufacturer was predicted to be looking for an alternative to touchscreens, keyboards, and mice. The design details of this smart ring closely resembled the Apple Watch prototype, featuring 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's ring, allowing the wearer to know the other person's location at all times, even if their partner removed the ring. Later, AirTag, with similar functionality, appeared, but iRing remained just a rumor.

In 2023, some evidence emerged suggesting Apple held several patents related to smart rings. The latest filing, approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on November 28, 2023, concerns an "electronic system and device in the form of a ring," meaning Apple's future product could be more than just a ring; it could be a bracelet, necklace, anklet, etc.

As Samsung prepares to sell its smart ring, rumors about the iRing have once again become a topic of interest. According to ETNews , following the appearance of the Galaxy Ring, Apple has seriously considered plans to release the Apple Ring and has filed a patent application for a finger-worn device with NFC support. An anonymous industry source said that the commercialization of the Apple Ring will soon take place.

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

Statistics from Business Research Insight show that the global smart ring market could grow from $20 million in 2023 to nearly $200 million by 2031. Apple has many approaches to this market segment, for example, the ring could be used to control other devices like smartphones, but the company's priority is health tracking.

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