The latest patent Apple applied for suggests that the ring could become the central hub for controlling all of your devices. It could be used to control your iPhone, Mac, HomePod, Apple TV, and even your household appliances.
A representation of how Apple’s future smart ring would control multiple devices. The image also shows a person wearing smart glasses that look a lot like the Apple Vision Pro.
How would it work? The patent describes a smart ring equipped with a variety of sensors, including force sensors, proximity sensors, and even a microphone. These sensors would allow the ring to detect your gestures and commands. For example, you could point at your Apple TV and say “mute” to turn off the sound.
Of course, it would be more than just a glorified remote, with its other big benefit being tracking your health. For example, it could track your heart rate, steps, sleeping patterns, and then presenting that information on your iPhone or other Apple products. This sounds very similar to what the Galaxy Ring from Samsung does.
Apple also envisions the smart ring as a personal assistant that lives on your finger, available at all times. It could help you with tasks like setting alarms, sending messages, and finding your phone.
Smart rings have been around for some time, but it seems the big tech companies are just beginning to pay more attention to this form factor as a potential money maker for the future.
While it’s still unclear when or if Apple will release a smart ring, this research shows that the company is vigorously exploring new ways to interact with technology. It’s possible that we could see a smart ring on the market in the near future.
The question is, however, what would that mean for one of Apple’s most popular products: the Apple Watch? From what we have seen so far, a smart ring cannot exactly replace a smart watch, as it cannot provide the same detailed data. That said, by the time Apple launches one (if it ever does), things could have changed.