Apple is said to be planning and accelerating the development of a smart ring that will counteract Samsung’s announced Galaxy Ring. This is reported by the South Korean Electronic Times and attributes this to an increase in Apple’s patent applications surrounding a ring-like product that industry observers have noticed for some time.
Advertisement
Smart rings offer numerous functions in a small space: These can include health sensors, payment methods or even remote control. Unlike other larger wearables, such a device is lighter and can be worn around the clock.
Samsung presented it at the beginning of the year
Samsung surprisingly announced the Galaxy Ring at its Galaxy Unpacked event in California in January. Industry observers expect further details could be unveiled in the second half of July, writes the Electronic Times. Mass production is scheduled to begin in the second quarter. Eight sizes are planned. Samsung has not yet commented on the price. Comparable products start at $300.
Market researchers see smart rings as a growth market whose current sales could increase eightfold by 2031. Currently, it is mainly smaller manufacturers such as Oura that are represented on the market with products. With Samsung and perhaps Apple too there could be some movement.
Apple needs to consider carefully
At Apple, the decision to produce a smart ring is likely to be preceded by difficult considerations. So far, Apple has primarily relied on the Apple Watch as a driving force for fitness tracking. A ring could take market share away from the watch. Recently, business with wearables had declined compared to the previous year, as the latest quarterly figures showed.
On the other hand, a ring would be a more comfortable alternative to constantly wearing the Apple Watch, especially for Apple’s sleep tracking. And with the Apple Vision Pro, Apple has just brought a device onto the market in which many possibilities for interacting with a ring are conceivable.
Patents are a difficult whistleblower
It is of course difficult for Apple to derive the specific development of a product from patent applications: the company has been applying for protection of ideas for foldable displays or new types of health sensors such as those used to measure blood pressure for many years. In many cases, corresponding products are still a long time coming.
(mki)