Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, believes that Apple probably does not plan to enter the smart ring market, because such a product could hurt sales of the Apple Watch. He didn’t say it, but it is also a possible competitor to the future AirPods Pro 3 dedicated to health.
Oura hopes Apple won’t do this
During an interview with the channel CNBCHale explained that Apple likely remains skeptical about the added value of combining a ring and a watch in its lineup. For him, the Cupertino company is undoubtedly closely monitoring the progress of Oura and Samsung, but that a ring signed by Apple is not on the agenda, in part because “it’s difficult to succeed in this product category.”
Oura recently launched the Oura Ring 4, capable of tracking movement, fitness, stress, and sleep. Since its first model in 2015, the brand has established itself as one of the benchmarks in the field of smart rings. Apple has been rumored to have explored the idea of an Apple Ring, but no product is currently in development. In October, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple had even abandoned its ring project.
The reason is simple: a ring focused on health and sport could cannibalize sales of the Apple Watch. The group reportedly considered a ring as a more affordable alternative to the Apple Watch, but the idea did not capture the interest of executives. Obviously, if connected rings were to gain popularity, Apple could reconsider its position, especially since Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Ring, compatible with its devices and capable of tracking movements, sleep, heart rate, and breathing, providing users with a sleep score and energy index.
Despite rumors and patents, the Apple Ring does not seem to be on the agenda.
