Apple is not developing a smart ring but is considering advanced AirPods with a camera, AI،
Last week we told you about a report out of Korea that Apple was developing a smart ring. With Samsung's Smart Ring rumored to be unveiled this summer, Apple's increased interest in such a product makes sense, even though the company has been collecting patents for such a product for nearly a decade. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg
in his weekly To light up newsletterApple is not “actively developing” a smart ring, although it would make perfect sense for Apple to produce one.
As Gurman notes, an Apple Ring would focus on health and fitness, similar to the Apple Watch. Those who don't like wearing a watch, or just like using a traditional watch, might be attracted to an Apple ring. Yes, there are people who want to monitor their health but don't like the idea of owning another device that needs to be plugged in at night to charge. While a smart ring wouldn't be as profit-generating as the Apple Watch, it could prevent users from switching from the
iPhone to an Android model.
Apple may want to build a pair of smart glasses with limited capabilities to rival the Meta glasses seen here
Another product that Apple might have interest in producing is a pair of smart glasses. These would not be the iPhone-replacing glasses that many expect Apple to produce in a few years, but a version more in line with the second-generation smart glasses offered by Amazon and Meta. These specs can record video and play music, and Meta is looking to add functionality that will identify what the wearer is watching.
Gurman says Apple has discussed making glasses that would be worn as a replacement for AirPods and would feature larger batteries, additional sensors and more AI features. Users could wear these glasses to stay connected to an Apple interface all day, Gurman writes. And these glasses would certainly be cheaper than the Vision
Pro space computer at $3,499 and up.
Apple is also reportedly exploring the idea of adding cameras to AirPods as well as health sensors and advanced AI. Apple's exploration of such a product is internally codenamed B798 and would offer some of the functionality of wearing smart glasses without having to wear frames or lenses. Cameras connected to AirPods would capture data which would then be processed using AI.
Although Apple may never bring any of these products to consumers, Gurman writes that the company needs to find something new to reverse the decline in revenue Apple announced for fiscal 2023. A smart ring, glasses or a AirPods with a
camera might help. Apple is increasing its turnover without cannibalizing sales of its current devices.
