Tom Hale, CEO of the Oura Ring company says he doesn’t think Apple will release a smart ring as “it’s hard to do this product category right.” Hale’s comments came in an interview with CNBC, where he explained the reasoning behind that comment.
A smart ring is a device worn on a user’s finger, and contains sensors that provide information things about the wearer’s health, activity and sleep habits.
While there have been several rumors about an Apple smart ring, recent rumors conflicted, with one rumor claiming Apple had terminated its smart ring project, a short time later another rumors claimed Apple would launch a smart ring in 2026.
Hale claims Apple may not want to offer a smart ring due to fear that it would cannibalize business from its Apple Watch wearable.
Hale also says Apple may be worried that an Apple Ring could cannibalize business from its already well-established Apple Watch smartwatch.
“I think they [Apple] are unconvinced about the value of having a ring and a watch together and they’re not interested in undercutting the Apple Watch as a business,” Hale told CNBC during the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. “I think they’re probably keeping a close eye on Samsung and a close eye on us, but it’s hard to do this product category right.”
While Hale appears to think Apple hasn’t been seriously working on its smart ring, the Cupertino firm has applied for and been granted several smart ring-connected patents over the last several years.
It should also be noted though, that Apple applies for and is granted several patents each year and not everything it comes up with makes it to market.
