Apple is not developing a smart ring but is considering advanced AirPods with a camera, AI
Last week we told you about a report out of Korea that said Apple is developing a smart ring. With Samsung's smart ring rumored to be unveiled this summer, Apple's heightened interest in such a product makes sense although it has been collecting patents for such a product for nearly a decade. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his weekly Power On newsletter, Apple isn't "actively developing" a smart ring, although such a device would make perfect sense for Apple to produce.
As Gurman notes, an Apple Ring would focus on health and fitness similar to the Apple Watch. Those who don't like wearing a watch, or only like to use a traditional timepiece, might be drawn to an Apple Ring. Yes, there are people who want to monitor their health but don't like the idea of owning another device that needs to be plugged in at night to charge. While a smart ring wouldn't be as large a profit generator as the Apple Watch, it could keep users from switching from the iPhone to an Android model.
Apple might want to build a pair of smart glasses with limited capabilities in order to compete with Meta's glasses seen here
Another product that Apple could have an interest in producing is a pair of smart glasses. These wouldn't be the glasses that replace the iPhone that many expect Apple to produce in a few years, but a version more in line with the second-generation smart glasses offered by Amazon and Meta. These specs can record video, and play music, and Meta is looking to add a feature that will identify what the wearer is looking at.
Gurman says that Apple has had talks about making glasses that would be worn as an AirPods replacement and feature larger batteries, additional sensors, and more AI features. Users could wear the glasses to stay connected to an Apple interface all day, Gurman writes. And these glasses would certainly be cheaper than the $3,499 and up Vision Pro spatial computer.
Apple is also supposedly looking at the idea of adding cameras to the AirPods along with health sensors and advanced AI. The exploration by Apple of such a product has an internal codename of B798 and would deliver some of the features of wearing smart glasses without having to wear frames and lenses. The cameras attached to the AirPods would capture data that would then be processed using AI.
While none of these products might ever be offered to consumers by Apple, Gurman writes that the company needs to find something new to reverse the decline in revenue Apple reported for fiscal 2023. A smart ring, glasses, or an AirPods with a camera could help Apple increase the top line without cannibalizing sales of its current devices.
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