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Apple and Samsung have a new arena to fight in — and it’s shaped like a ring.
Now that Samsung has unleashed its Smart Ring version, available for $400 since July, the stage is set for Apple to bring its flavor.
The new smart ring battlefield is expected to diminish current leader Oura’s stronghold, which currently holds more than 50% of the market.
This development is particularly significant given the global smart ring market’s forecasted surge, with expectations to grow over 29% by 2028 and reach a valuation of $1.1 billion.
Apple has traditionally adopted strategic patience, observing a technology’s success and market acceptance before making its entry. This ethos can be found in Tim Cook’s motto of “be best, not first.”
Apple is renowned for its simple design with no extraneous features. That said, a ring has to be the simplest design possible, so can they bring a unique spin on a smart ring?
Join us as we loop around the current rumor mill.
Apple Smart Ring Release Date
Expected Date: September 2025
Before we get too excited, the Apple Smart Ring is a collection of patents and intense speculation right now. There was no word at the WDDC in June or during the iPhone 16 releases in September 2024.
However, with the Samsung ring launched, we suspect that Apple will want to enter the market sooner rather than later.
The sensible money would be on a slow drip feed of Apple Smart Ring news building up to a release in 2025.
Apple’s annual launches mean that September 2025 looks like the next venue.
But considering this is a new product category, perhaps they will hold a unique Apple ring event at the ring-shaped Cupertino headquarters.
Apple Smart Ring Specs and Features
Payments, Controlling Other Apple Devices, Smart Gestures
Apple Insider recently revealed details behind a newly granted patent titled “Skin-To-Skin Contact Detection” that hints at Apple’s exploration of gesture and contact detection technologies.
The patent suggests that the Apple Smart Ring specs could help it recognize interactions between different body parts or even between fingers while wearing such a device.
This suggests a broader application, extending beyond mere wristwear to a more nuanced understanding of user gestures and movements, signaling Apple’s ambition to redefine wearable technology — imagine the Apple TV 4K fourth generation (which may arrive with cameras) being able to work with your fing for gesture support.
Repeat that idea for the Apple Vision Pro 2 — who needs clunky hand controllers if you are wearing a smart ring?
Apple’s smart ring could also integrate into the ecosystem in other ways, offering a suite of features without additional apps and subscriptions.
Prospective functionalities include sleep and fitness tracking, mobile payments via Apple Pay, and unique caller identification phone feedback.
Everything Else We Know So Far About Apple Smart Ring
‘Always On’ Health Monitoring
Introducing an Apple Smart Ring could complement rather than cannibalize the Apple Watch market, as these two devices cater to distinct preferences and use cases. The Apple Watch’s tracking features like heart rate monitoring, ECG, and oxygen saturation have been popular with health enthusiasts and the worried well. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Some users find the daily ritual of wearing a watch and nightly charging cumbersome. By contrast, a smart ring is a subtler, more discreet alternative for those interested in crucial health data without the bulkiness of a watch. It offers a streamlined experience, focusing on essential health metrics, and appeals to users who prioritize simplicity and convenience or those who find wearing a watch uncomfortable or impractical, especially during sleep.
Long-Term Health Tracking
The Apple Smart Ring could also attract those looking for a less intrusive wearable that blends seamlessly into their lifestyle. Unlike the Apple Watch, which demands frequent charging, a smart ring promises extended battery life due to its lack of a display and simpler functionality.
Syncing health data, such as blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and heart rate monitoring, without requiring constant device interaction also appeals to users seeking a more passive approach to health tracking.
Ultimately, the debate between the Apple Watch and a potential Smart Ring centers on the user’s lifestyle and convenience preferences. The Watch offers comprehensive health tracking with immediate data sync. At the same time, a Smart Ring promises a less intrusive, longer-lasting option for continuous health monitoring without daily charging.
Buying a Smart Ring could offer flexibility and a more comfortable, discreet alternative to 24/7 health tracking, hopefully at a more affordable price. By appealing to users seeking simplicity and minimalism from their wearable tech, there’s room for rings and watches in the tech wearable market.
Gestures That Fit Into Your Life
If the Smart Ring can understand the differences between an elbow, an arm, crossing your chest, or tapping your knee, it could serve as a brand new user interface for interacting with your devices.
From pausing TV by tapping your chest to changing a music track by tapping an elbow, Apple could offer a version of extended reality that blends real-life gestures unobtrusively and instinctively into the digital playground.
Apple Smart Ring Price
Expected Price: $300
Once again, it is challenging to predict the price of a new product that does not exist. The sweet spot for most Apple consumers would be around $300. However, Apple has a reputation for a premium pricing strategy, which could make an Apple ring price entry point anywhere between $300 and $500.
For some perspective, Oura launched its ring in 2015, and the cheapest model is still $300, and Samsung entered the market at $400.
Why Apple’s Next Smart Move Should Be the Smart Ring
In March 2022, Oura revealed sales surpassing one million rings; however, its most recent version has faced scrutiny following the introduction of a $5.99 monthly subscription fee, which restricted access to users’ health data behind a financial barrier. This represents a perfect opportunity for Samsung and Apple to make a move.
After years of releasing slightly improved versions of the same products, such as the iPad Pro, many wondered whether Apple needed to remember how to innovate. Others asked whether the Apple Watch would be enough to secure Tim Cook’s legacy as an innovator.
Earlier this year, Apple released the Vision Pro Headset, the first new product in a decade to counteract this narrative. However, there are increasing Apple smart ring leaks that Cook is finally ready to escape Steve Jobs’s shadow with one of the first new consumer product lines since the co-founder’s passing.
Despite Apple filing smart ring patents since 2015, entering a market dominated by Oura and following Samsung’s lead might be perceived by many as a textbook case of copycat tech. So, what can we expect from the Apple Smart Ring?
The Bottom Line
While Apple is seldom the pioneer in introducing new product categories, its foray into any segment often redefines the landscape. The prospect of an Apple Smart Ring that integrates flawlessly with Apple Health taps into the comprehensive Apple Fitness suite and synchronizes effortlessly with extensive Apple Watch data — effectively an interconnected and seamless health-tracking ecosystem.
However, this advancement brings to light critical ethical considerations about data privacy and tech companies’ responsibility to handle sensitive health information, or lock personal data behind a wellbeing membership, or sell it to third-party partners such as insurers.
Will the future involve lower insurance premiums for those who agree to track their every move and the hours they sleep? The impending rise of smart rings could raise more questions than the answers they claim to offer.
