Our CEO, Tom Hale, is still determining if Apple will enter the smart ring market, even though rumors abound about the Apple Ring. Some reports declare it’s a dead project, while others say Apple will bring one in as early as 2026. These comments by Hale during the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, show some of the problems involved in creating a smart ring and why Apple may be hesitant to bring out one.
Read Also: Samsung teases XR hardware for 2025 – we think it’ll be AR glasses, and here’s why
According to Hale, the utility Apple is most likely to derive from carrying the smart ring and the Apple Watch simultaneously remains questionable because they may do the same things. He said, “They are not sold on the value proposition of a ring and a watch together, and they are not interested in disturbing the Apple Watch business at all.” He said developing a smart ring of quality demanded is far more challenging than people portray, even for something like Apple.
The current skepticism brought to mind other companies’ doubts regarding Apple before the iPhone. For example, in 2006, Ed Colligan, the then-CEO of Palm, famously said that Apple couldn’t just “walk-in” and succeed in the phone market. However, Apple continued its spree a year later by launching the iPhone, which transformed the whole industry. Of course, history has proven that Apple does not shy away from challenges and has an uncanny ability to convert new product categories.
Read Also: iPhone 17 rumors — everything we know so far
Hale’s assumption that Apple has yet to focus on smart rings might be wrong. In the last ten years, Appleyhaspfiledts have been filed ing designs for smart rings. Apple had filed a patent in 2015 titled “Devices and methods for a ring computing device.” The following updates were done in 2019. This means Apple has been working silently on the technology for years without the public noticing it.
Read Also: Samsung Leaks Huge Galaxy S25 Update—Now Just 2 Weeks Away
Hale thinks an Apple Ring would directly compete with the Apple Watch. However, success lies with Apple being a holistic system with all its products symbiotic to each other. Each product will complement the other and aggregate a seamless user experience. Much like the Apple Watch is an upgrade to the iPhone, an Apple Ring could be seen as an accessory to the watch with further reinforcement of Apple’s wearable lineup.
Read Also: WhatsApp custom lists are here to help you keep track of convos
Apple has also shown an ability and willingness to cannibalize its products. It killed the iPod with the iPhone even when it had gained phenomenal popularity. If Apple perceives an opportunity in a smart ring, it can feel the same level of comfort about cannibalizing its wearables business.
While a smart ring under the Apple umbrella remains unlikely, according to Hale, a look at Apple’s history and sheer number of patents means that it is partially out of the picture. If they bring something in true Cupertino fashion, it should be a next-level product that looks to grab significant market share in wearable tech. Until then, we only speculate whether Apple is ready to silence a new round of skeptics.
