Apple may not be making a Smart Ring right now after all
by William Gallagher · AppleInsiderDespite years of rumors and an extensive body of patents regarding a smart Apple Ring, a new report claims the company has no plans to actually release one.
Apple has been researching smart rings for two decades — or at least there have been rumors for that long — but now we'll have to hold our breath for a lot longer. According to Bloomberg, the issue is less technical, and more pragmatic marketing.
"Apple isn't actively developing a ring and has no plans to launch one," wrote Mark Gurman, "[because it] would detract from the Apple Watch."
"[Consequently, Apple] has no reason to cannibalize a product that still has room to grow," he continued, "and is the envy of the fitness-tracking industry."
More than most firms, however, Apple does have a reputation for doing exactly that cannibalization. The most famous example is how it entirely destroyed its own iPod with the iPhone.
Amongst the many rumors regarding the Apple Ring, there have also been ones where it could work alongside the Apple Watch. For instance, it's possible that wearing both the Apple Ring and the Apple Watch together might improve the accuracy of heart rate measurement, as the Oura ring currently does.
Then according to multiple patents over the last many years, there has also been research into gesture control, perhaps related to the use of the Apple Vision Pro. So it's repeatedly been expected that the Apple Ring would fit into the existing Apple ecosystem as a complementary accessory rather than a replacement.
If the report is correct, however, this makes 2024's second cancellation of a device that has become high-profile without Apple actually announcing it. In February 2024, it was reported that the decade-long Apple Car project had been entirely cancelled.
In that case, there is no competing Apple device that it would cannibalize. But otherwise there are striking similarities, with Apple's research efforts into a car continuing to be documented in newly granted patents.
5 Comments
skippingrock 199 comments · 19 Years ☠️
About 3 hours ago
One ring to rule them all
is still in development.
quakerotis 89 comments · 8 Years 🧟
About 1 hour ago
Or they never did and the tech press was duped again.
you choose.
crawdad62 100 comments · 16 Years ☠️
About 56 minutes ago
Whenever I see rings vs watches I also see people that love their Apple Watch but don't want to wear it to sleep in. I'm sure there would be some people that would forgo the watch for the ring but most I think would buy both. I'm no marketing guy but it seems like a win win to me.
darbus69 48 comments · 9 Years 🧟
About 27 minutes ago
make the gosh darn ring, I am sick of my son showing me all of his brand new fancy Samsung gear-whatever happened to @Apple being the innovator-I think it’s actually starting to disappoint me…
gatorguy 24576 comments · 13 Years ☠️
About 19 minutes ago
Apple is probably correct in thinking a ring would cannibalize smartwatch sales. I've looked at the Oura more than once, (even bought the fitment kit) but coming to the conclusion each time that, other than perhaps more accurate sleep data, it could not collect all the health and fitness data a smartwatch can. And it's not as though wearing my watch at night, and the sleep data it collects, isn't sufficiently complete anyway.
IMO, it would be a silly purchase with little value if you already wear a newer smartwatch. Now, if money is no object, go for it, have both. Most people would choose one or the other.
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