A render of a hoop with the Apple emblem.
Regardless of years of rumors and an in depth physique of patents relating to a wise Apple Ring, a brand new report claims the corporate has no plans to truly launch one.
Apple has been researching good rings for 20 years — or no less than there have been rumors for that lengthy — however now we’ll have to carry our breath for lots longer. Based on Bloomberg, the difficulty is much less technical, and extra pragmatic advertising.
“Apple isn’t actively developing a ring and has no plans to launch one,” wrote Mark Gurman, “[because it] would detract from the Apple Watch.”
“[Consequently, Apple] has no reason to cannibalize a product that still has room to grow,” he continued, “and is the envy of the fitness-tracking industry.”
Greater than most companies, nonetheless, Apple does have a status for doing precisely that cannibalization. Probably the most well-known instance is the way it solely destroyed its personal iPod with the iPhone.
Amongst the numerous rumors relating to the Apple Ring, there have additionally been ones the place it might work alongside the Apple Watch. As an illustration, it is potential that carrying each the Apple Ring and the Apple Watch collectively would possibly enhance the accuracy of coronary heart price measurement, because the Oura ring at the moment does.
Then based on a number of patents over the past a few years, there has additionally been analysis into gesture management, maybe associated to using the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. So it is repeatedly been anticipated that the Apple Ring would match into the present Apple ecosystem as a complementary accent somewhat than a substitute.
If the report is right, nonetheless, this makes 2024’s second cancellation of a tool that has grow to be high-profile with out Apple really asserting it. In February 2024, it was reported that the decade-long Apple Automotive undertaking had been solely cancelled.
In that case, there isn’t a competing Apple system that it will cannibalize. However in any other case there are hanging similarities, with Apple’s analysis efforts right into a automobile persevering with to be documented in newly granted patents.