Apple’s Next Move: Smart Ring and Glasses to Shake Up Wearable Tech Market

According to a Bloomberg report on the 25th (local time), Apple is considering the development of various wearable devices, including smart glasses and smart rings. This move is seen as an attempt to strengthen Apple’s ecosystem and increase sales in the wearable market, which is already crowded with products like the Apple Watch. With Samsung Electronics scheduled to unveil the Galaxy Ring at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), competition in the wearable device market is expected to heat up if Apple also enters the fray.

An Apple expert, Mark Gurman mentioned, “Apple is considering whether to develop smart glasses, fitness rings, etc.” He added, “A few years ago, Apple’s industrial design group proposed a smart ring that could bring health tracking features from the Apple Watch to the fingers of the company’s health team executives. Recently, company researchers have been looking at smart glasses from Meta and Amazon and discussing the possibility of developing related devices.”

Apple aims to enhance its current business areas by introducing differentiated wearables. Although the company’s wearable business accounts for nearly 10% of its total sales, it has recently entered a stagnation phase, a cause for concern. This growth is steady compared to less than 5% a decade ago. To address this issue, Apple believes that it can attract a new demand group through its innovative wearables.

For example, a demand group wants to use the body information tracking function provided by the Apple Watch in a smart ring but wants to separate it from calls, messenger, etc., or does not prefer wristwatches. The calculation is that if they introduce a smart ring targeting these people, they can provide major health data collection functions. Gurman said, “The idea of wearable development can strengthen the wearable device sector, which has become a solid business for Apple. Wearable devices can help reach new customers, stimulate growth, and tie people to the Apple ecosystem more than now.”

According to reports, Apple is considering possibly developing a smart ring and smart glasses. However, it may take a significant amount of time to release these products. Although some individuals within Apple advocate for the smart ring, the company is not engaged in active development. On the other hand, the smart glasses are still in the technical investigation stage within the hardware engineering department.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Samsung Electronics has prepared an exhibition hall of 18,766 square feet for the Galaxy AI experience at the MWC venue and plans to unveil the actual model of the Galaxy Ring.