Some established tech companies won’t release a smart ring – and not because they can’t.
Would you say ‘yes’ if Apple offered you a smart ring? Well, the company won’t be coming forward with such a proposal, so you can only imagine what putting on an Apple smart ring would feel like.
The rise of smart rings
While smartwatches still reign in the tech wearables market, with 185 million units sold worldwide in 2023, another wearable, the smart ring, seems to be securing its position at the top of the market.
The smart ring market was valued at $210 million last year, and It’s expected to grow even further, potentially reaching a billion dollars by 2032.
Among smart ring manufacturers are companies such as Oura Health, McLear, NFC ring Ultrahuman, Wizpr Ring, and more. One thing that unites them all is the fact that they mainly focus on smart ring production only, with the exception of Samsung and its Galaxy Ring.
So, why have other well-known companies, such as Apple or Garmin, not released their own versions of the smart ring?
Garmin doesn’t believe in smart rings
Garmin is a leading manufacturer of fitness trackers and smartwatches. The company’s leaders have addressed the question of why Garmin isn’t hopping on the trend train and launching a smart ring.
During Garmin’s Health Summit 2024, Joe Schrick, the company’s vice president of fitness and senior director of health engineering, Scott Burgett, shared that they’re sticking to improving what they’ve created instead of copying what’s already been made, referring to the smart ring concept.
The company's leaders revealed that Garmin’s main focus remains on data accuracy and user experience. They believe this can be achieved with a smartwatch, which can be equipped with more components for more accurate measurements, rather than with a smart ring.
While a smart ring’s selling points are its size and design, the comfort it provides impacts the accuracy of metrics.
Apple won’t let go of its watch
There were multiple signs that Apple might be thinking about making a smart ring. The company has issued several patents that describe the possible invention. A few of these documents suggest that the ring would monitor a user’s health and could be compatible with other Apple devices or work as a hub for a user to control all of its other gadgets, including home appliances.
Days before Apple’s “Glowtime” event, where the company announced its latest devices, Apple sent out a survey to a number of its smartwatch users.
The survey included questions about whether users are happy with the device’s battery life, how often they charge it, if they’re sleeping with the watch, how often and why, and more importantly, if they’re using any other wearables, including a smart ring, reports Apple Insider.
Such information could also provide the company with more details about how people use smart rings and their habits regarding wearables.
However, despite these indications that Apple may be working on the matter, Mark Gurman, Bloomberg’s tech correspondent, shared via newsletter that the company isn’t working on a new device since its focus is on the Apple smartwatch and ways to improve it.
While Gurman says Apple doesn’t want to “cannibalize” its product, there’s a possibility that the watch and the ring could work well together, providing users with more accurate insights.
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