The smart rings category is hot right now, but does Apple plan to enter the fray on its own?
In recent months we’ve seen the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring and the RingConn Smart Ring, while the long-term leader in the best smart rings race is the Oura Ring (now on to its third generation). Rumors that Apple might be tempted to join the party have been circulating for a number of years, and it appears that at least Apple has something on the drawing board surrounding this form factor.
Here, we’ve rounded up everything we know and think we know about the so-called Apple Ring: the leaks and rumors that have surfaced, the predicted price, the possible release date, and more. We’ve also added some features and specs we want to see from the Apple Ring.
Apple Ring: come to the conclusion
- What is it? A rumored smart ring, made by Apple
- When could it appear? TB, but not before 2025
- How much could it cost? Expect to pay $399 / £399 / AU$750 or more
Apple Ring: price and release date predictions
We don’t have many clues as to how much the Apple Ring might cost, but we can look at some other options on the market. The Samsung Galaxy Ring can be yours for $399 / £399 and up (Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed), while the Oura Ring 3 is available for $299 / £299 and up (and is currently unavailable in Australia) .
That gives you an idea of the price points we’re talking about. Apple wants to stay competitive, but (as the best iPhones show) isn’t afraid to charge a higher price for its products. If we had to guess, we’d say the Apple Ring will be slightly more expensive than its rivals Samsung and Oura.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the best Oura Ring features require a monthly subscription ($5.99 / £5.99 per month). Apple already has a Fitness Plus program that you can sign up for if you have an Apple Watch ($9.99 / £9.99 / AU$14.99 per month), so it’s entirely possible that this will also be a optional extra for its smart ring.
When it comes to a release date, 2024 and even 2025 seem unlikely given the frequency of the leaks and rumors we’ve seen so far; it doesn’t seem like a launch is imminent. We didn’t see an Apple Ring alongside the Apple Watch 10 at the September 2024 It’s Glowtime event, but there’s a chance it could join the Apple Watch 11 in September 2025, assuming the device shows up as expected.
Apple Ring: Leaks and Rumors
Rumors about the Apple Ring go way back, to at least 2020. A patent Apple filed that year showed a smart ring being used to control other devices – with the idea being that you might change channels on your Apple TV could switch with a tap on your ring. Of course, patents are not always guarantees for future products, but they show what companies are thinking about and researching.
Fast forward to 2023, when Apple again filed smart ring patents that positioned its would-be device as a kind of controller for other gadgets. It looks like every Apple Ring that comes out will not only focus on health and fitness, but will also give you new ways to control features on your other Apple devices.
It seems that Apple is not limited to wearables on your fingers either. Yet another patent from 2023 revealed plans for a type of Apple anklet that you could wear around your ankle or around your neck. The success of the Apple Watch has clearly got Apple thinking about how to track more fitness metrics.
Meanwhile, an industry report from South Korea in early 2024 suggested that an Apple smart ring was on the way, to take on Samsung and Oura. However, as nothing has emerged in the months since, either the report’s sources have been wrong, or Apple has changed its mind about the future product launch schedule.
We’ve seen another sign that an Apple Ring may be on the way: an Apple survey sent out to Apple Watch owners, asking how many of them currently wear a smart ring in addition to their smartwatch. It might be a bit of a stretch to use this as proof of an Apple Ring, but it’s a big deal.
And that’s it for the Apple Ring rumors: no hint about pricing, specs, design or anything like that. The lack of details in the rumors implies that a launch in the future could still be some way off, although there’s been enough buzz at this point to suggest it’s at least being considered.
Apple Ring: what we want to see
If an Apple Ring is indeed on the way, what will it look like – and how could it beat the existing models? If Apple engineers are reading this, this is what we want to see from an Apple smart ring.
1. Great battery life
This is obviously on every wish list for every device, but decent battery life is a must – especially since the standard Apple Watch doesn’t last more than a day or two without charging. In fact, that could be a major selling point for the Apple Ring: keep tracking your steps and other activities while your Apple Watch charges.
2. Sleep tracking of the highest level
Speaking of charging Apple Watch, many users charge theirs overnight. This means that the smartwatch often can’t be used for sleep tracking, and we hope this means the Apple Ring will be very good at that. Plus, the smaller size and lighter weight of a smart ring makes it more suitable for tracking your tossing and turning as you sleep.
3. Many software features without subscription
We’ve already mentioned Apple Fitness Plus, but we hope that many of the features of an Apple Ring would also be available without a subscription, just like with Apple Watch. And for those who wanted additional functionality such as fitness videos, customizations around training plans, in-session stats and more, there could be an additional subscription option.
4. A superior design
There are really only so many ways you can design a smart ring, but we hope Apple brings the same aesthetic flavor to the Apple Ring as shown on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. We think of a super slim and super light form factor, a choice of different colors and a smart ring that is one of the most comfortable on the market.
5. Seamless Apple ecosystem integration
Apple usually manages this perfectly, with iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches getting new integrations and connections all the time – so we hope this extends to the Apple Ring too. It’s unlikely that Apple wants the smart ring to replace the Apple Watch, and it could even be a useful display for it (note that Oura also has an Apple Watch app).