- Oura CEO Tom Hale is unconvinced that Apple will launch a smart ring because it might undercut its Apple Watch business.
- Hale said, that while Apple is keeping an eye on us and Samsung, it's hard to do this product category right.
- Despite everything, Apple could eventually release a smart ring if the demand grows.
Smart Rings are steadily becoming popular in the wearable space. While they aren’t as feature-rich as smartwatches, they make an excellent alternative for people who prefer simple & compact wearables with a longer battery life. This year, Samsung also joined the smart rings league with its Galaxy Ring. Since then, there have been strong rumors that Apple will also come up with its mich-awaited Apple Ring, but Oura CEO doesn’t apparently think so and some of his reasons take a direct dig at the Cupertino tech giant.
Oura CEO Tom Hale is seemingly unconvinced that Apple has any plans to enter the smart ring market because an Apple-designed ring might undercut its Apple Watch business.
In an interview with CNBC, Hale said ” I think they [Apple] is likely “unconvinced about the value of having a ring and watch together, and they’re not interested in undercutting the Apple Watch as a business”. He added that while Apple is likely keeping a close eye on Oura and Samsung, it’s hard to do this product category right.
Hale further mentioned “Apple is very much a focused company. They’re like: ‘We’ve put our bet on the watch. We’re gonna make the watch our platform.’”
Oura launched its first smart ring in 2015, which has greatly evolved into one of the finest names in the smart ring space. They have recently launched its next-gen Oura Ring 4, a wearable that can track movement, health, sleep, and stress.
Tom Hale has certainly made a good point- smart rings are direct competitors to smartwatches. Some people may even see it as the best smartwatch alternative. If Apple comes up with a Smart Ring, it could cannibalize the sales of the Apple Watch because the ring would have many of the same features as the watch. Previously, we’ve heard that Apple’s industrial team proposed the idea of a smart ring that could become a lower-cost alternative to an Apple Watch, but Apple executives weren’t interested.
Even if Hale has a valid point, Apple is known for creating different platforms in its product categories. Apple already makes several kinds of Macs- MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. We also have different iPads- iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. It even makes different Apple Watches, with the standard and Ultra lineups. Different products in each category appeal to different users with certain needs. Apple could follow its usual strategy to launch an Apple Ring that appeals to a different type of user—someone who isn’t interested in smartwatches.
We have heard several Apple Ring rumors, but the company has no plans to launch it anytime soon. In October, Mark Gurman also reported that there’s no active development and Apple has no plans to launch a ring.
Despite all the rumors and competitors’ claims, Apple could eventually launch a smart ring if the demand grows. The Cupertino tech giant has patented ring-like devices, but there’s no timeline for when or if the idea will turn into an actual product.
