Once upon a time, we all dreamed of pocket-sized computers and now we’ve got some of the best phones ever made. Then we dreamed of putting on a screen on a watch and can you guess what happened? That’s right: smartwatches!
But when will we actually see a proper smart ring? And I’m not talking about those pseudo-smart rings that can detect calls and measure your temperature. I’m talking about proper innovation here.
And, given Apple’s recent announcement of the Vision Pro and how much that stirred the pot in the XR industry, I think we need the Cupertino company to act on this idea too. But what’s this? Apple already got another patent for a smart ring?
Well, now all of this text just sounds like I’ve thought it all up in advance!
And now, a short history on Apple smart ring patents:
2015: a ring with voice control and a camera
2019: a ring closer to a smartwatch than something of its own
2023: a ring that can give you input through haptics and allow for advanced gesture controls
Now, let’s pause here for a moment and bring something up: Apple is infamous for its amazing ecosystem of products. So making a smart ring now, when Apple TV is a thing and when the Vision Pro is headed our way — a ring, mind you, that can play nice with all of the Big A’s products — just makes sense, right?
So, let’s give some examples. For starters, different vibration patterns could be set up so that you could know where a given notification stems from. Not only that, but the ring has a pressure sensitive area, which could be pressed in order to trigger some pre-made response, like for when you are driving and can’t come to the phone.
Or, maybe that can trigger your microphone on your Apple Watch which would then transfer the message over to your iPhone 14? Just an example!
So, does this mean that Apple is making a smart ring? Not really, as with patents, this rarely means an obligation and more so a reservation of a specific rendition of an idea. Still though, this thing has been considered since 2015.
Who knows? It may be high time. But probably after the Vision Pro releases.
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Stan, also known as Stako, is a smartphone enthusiast who loves exploring the limits of Android customization. His journey with mobile tech began with the Nokia 5110 and evolved with devices like the BlackBerry 9350 Curve and Samsung Galaxy A4. Despite his love for Android, he holds equal respect for Apple, considering the iPhone 4s as a significant milestone in mobile tech. Stan started his writing career early, contributing to MetalWorld, and harbors a passion for creative writing. Beyond smartphones, he's interested in photography, design, composition, and gaming, often preferring solo projects to hone his objective thinking. He's also an avid student of open-source technology and consoles, with a special fondness for the Pebble Watch, Arduboy, and Playdate.
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