I’m dubious that Apple will release a smart ring, but the company continues to file patents for an “Apple Ring.” The latest is for a “ring input device with touch-sensitive input.’
About the ‘Apple Ring’
In a June 30 2025 “Power On” newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said it’s time for the long-rumored ‘Apple Ring” to finally arrive. However, I disagree.
Gurman said the Apple Watch doesn’t offer any real updates anymore. He thinks that a ring device would offer benefits including being more comfortable to wear and being, well, stylish.
About the patent filing
Apple’s new patent filing to a ring input device, and more particularly to touch-sensitive input mechanisms within the ring input device that detect touch to initiate an operation. Electronic devices in a system may be controlled by a ring device that is worn on a user’s finger. The ring device may include near-field communications circuitry for emulating near-field communications tags based on biometric data and/or for logging health-related actions such as medicine intake.
An inertial measurement unit in the ring device may detect pointing and other gestures for controlling equipment. A microphone may detect voice input and other sounds that can be used to infer the context in which the ring device is operating.
Motion data from a first device may be used to determine a gaze direction towards a second device so that ring input may be directed towards the second device. A map of locations of different devices that can be controlled by the ring device may be generated using a combination of pointing input, voice input, gaze input, and/or touch input.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “A ring device may be worn on a user’s finger. The ring device may include near-field communications circuitry for emulating near-field communications tags based on biometric data and/or for logging health-related actions such as medicine intake. An inertial measurement unit in the ring device may detect pointing and other gestures for controlling equipment.
“A microphone may detect voice input and other sounds that can be used to infer the context in which the ring device is operating. Motion data from a first device may be used to determine a gaze direction towards a second device so that ring input may be directed towards the second device. A map of locations of different devices that can be controlled by the ring device may be generated using a combination of pointing input, voice input, gaze input, and/or touch input.”
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