Check out the specs for this possible release from the iPhone owner. Apple's Ring should be a hit.
Apple has filed a new patent for a smart ring, a type of wearable device that has been anticipated for the past decade. A new article on smart devices shows a product that inherits some features from the Apple Watch, providing notifications and quick responses on the device itself.
The prototype images even show “digital jewelry.” Smart rings are a type of wearable smart device that could become popular in the future. They could either replace smart bands and smartwatches as health monitors or complement these wearables to provide more accurate data.
Possible features
Another feature is that users can control and view information about their smartphones even when they are away from the device. This concept has already been explored in Oura, with the Oura Ring. Samsung, Apple's main competitor in smartphones and wearable devices, is also developing a smart ring. According to the Korean newspaper The Elec, the Galaxy Ring has entered the testing phase as the first prototype.
Apple obtains smart ring patent
The images and text posted in the article contain information about possible Apple Ring features. The first thing to mention is the “control other devices” feature with the smart ring.
Apple itself provides a few examples, such as controlling smartwatches, health monitors, smartphones, tablets, laptops, headphones, and even “PC gloves.” It sounds like it has similar capabilities to the Vision Pro. Of course, this first use case is a bit counterintuitive. If you have a smart ring on your finger and a smart watch on your wrist, why do you need a ring to control your watch? Maybe this is a feature that parents can use on their children's smartwatch.
The patent also includes a method for the Apple Ring to control other devices. The image shows that the smart ring could be surrounded by a wearable touchscreen wristband and a “digital jewel.” This is Apple’s way of hiding the Ring’s processor.
The Apple Ring’s touchscreen band is a “guardrail” (Apple’s name for the feature) that rises above the band of the ring that protects it around the edges. At the bottom are sensors that monitor your health data. The wearables also have haptic feedback, which can vibrate when you receive a notification or activate a feature.
Samsung is also preparing the 'Galaxy Ring'.
Samsung is developing its own smart ring. The product is in the prototype phase, where the company evaluates the product's performance. This test will determine whether the brand should meet the schedule, go back to square one, or cancel the project altogether. The latter option is not possible due to the investment so far.
The Oura Ring may be called a smart ring even though it only has a sleep monitor, but the concept of a smart ring is not a 'fling' between companies and professionals. The device promises to be more effective in monitoring health parameters and more practical in the use of technology. This is one of the reasons why it is seen as the future of wearables. Perhaps Apple and Samsung will introduce smart rings as early as 2024.
