'Apple Ring' Allegedly in Development to Rival Samsung Galaxy Ring

Apple is speeding up development of a smart ring that can be worn on the finger to track users' health biometrics, claims a new report coming out of Korea.

samsung galaxy ringTeaser image of Samsung Galaxy Ring shown at Galaxy Unpacked in January

Apple has toyed with the idea of a ring wearable for several years, as indicated by several patents, but with Samsung preparing to bring its own product to market, the time could be ripe for Apple to follow it with something that embodies CEO Tim Cook's mantra, "be best, not first."

According to the Electronic Times, Apple has been paying close attention to the market for signs that a smart ring would be a popular, less intrusive alternative to a watch, that can be worn for longer and is easier to sleep with.

Apple is said to be seriously weighing up the idea as a viable expansion of its wearables lineup, and has been increasingly applying for patents related to an NFC-enabled finger-worn device as it coordinates the timing of the release.

"It seems likely that commercialization is imminent," said an industry insider quoted in the machine-translated report.

The rumor comes as Samsung prepares to unveil a Galaxy Ring at its second Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event, which is likely to take place in the second half of July. The Korean firm teased the product's existence at the end of its first Unpacked event in January, and it is now expected to enter mass production in the second half of the year.

Besides its rumored ability to measure blood flow, the Galaxy Ring is also expected to feature ECG monitoring, sleep tracking, and functionalities for controlling other devices and making wireless payments remotely. The device is expected to come in several sizes.

The emerging smart ring category is currently led by Oura Ring, first released by Finnish health technology company Oura back in 2015. The device collects activity, heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep data, and transmits it via Bluetooth to the Oura app. Now in its third-generation, the device can also measure body temperature and menstrual cycle, and the battery is said to last for a week on a single charge.

In March 2022, Oura announced that it had sold more than one million rings, but its latest incarnation has come in for criticism after the company introduced a $5.99 monthly subscription fee that put certain aspects of user data behind a paywall.

Would you be interested in an "Apple Ring" as an alternative to Apple Watch? Let us know in the comments.

Tag: Samsung

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Top Rated Comments

aknabi Avatar
15 months ago
My precious... shareholder value ring



BTW: What is it with AI and extra fingers?
Score: 95 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Account25476 Avatar
15 months ago
Too many products, with poor software... Apple wake up
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CmdrLaForge Avatar
15 months ago
Would love such a ring. I prefer wearing classic watches
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
15 months ago

Not gonna happen, no reason for Apple with the Apple watch existing.

Why would I buy it if I already have an Apple Watch?
Easier to sleep with.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mlrproducts Avatar
15 months ago
Or....

Apple could just invest in making Siri not suck.

Or fixing 10 year old audio bugs with their computer OS.

Just saying.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomtad Avatar
15 months ago
Is this going to go the same as Vision Pro where Apple release a slightly better ring than Samsungs in 5 years for 8x the price?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)