Apple has been actively exploring the wearable technology market, with a particular focus on smart rings. The company has filed numerous patent applications in this area, and its latest proposal is particularly ambitious.
One of the standout features in this new patent is the integration of Siri voice assistant. Additionally, the patent outlines how multiple rings could be worn simultaneously, including a unique wireless charging system that allows one ring to charge another.
[Apple’s patent application description:]
A ring device may be worn on a user’s finger. The ring device may include near-field communications circuitry for emulating near-field communications tags based on biometric data and/or for logging health-related actions such as medicine intake. An inertial measurement unit in the ring device may detect pointing and other gestures for controlling equipment. A microphone may detect voice input and other sounds that can be used to infer the context in which the ring device is operating. Motion data from a first device may be used to determine a gaze direction towards a second device so that ring input may be directed towards the second device. A map of locations of different devices that can be controlled by the ring device may be generated using a combination of pointing input, voice input, gaze input, and/or touch input…
A voice-controlled ring device may have a second set of components that are specific to voice-controlled assistant functions (e.g., an inertial measurement unit, a microphone, a speaker, and a touch and/or force sensor)…
MacDailyNews Take: Those had better be very micro microphones and speakers!
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
Hmm… Honestly, I’m not really sure there’s a market for a smart ring… It’s one thing to wear a watch, something humans have worn on the wrist (apparently) since 1810! And yes, they could be bejeweled and considered jewelry too, but they were not simply bracelets. They had a practical purpose: to tell time.
Rings, on the other hand, are much more symbolic and have always been 100% jewelry adornments. What finger are we supposed to wear a smart ring on anyway?
I dunno. I could be wrong, but I’m just not seeing it. 😑
I’m 110% in for devices to monitor our health and such, but what would you monitor on a ring that you couldn’t do on a smartwatch, or an armband, or glasses, or an earpiece, or <gulp!> an implant?
The right index finger is the go-to. Oura is cleaning up in smart rings. Evie begins taking orders again Sept 17. Samedung is also entering the market. Personally I don’t want total a computer to my wrist. I’ve steadfastly resisted the Apple Watch movement. I’d consider a ring though if it measured health data and shared sleep stats.
total = to strap
Why does Apple autocorrect suck so bad?