Apple has patented a smart ring that can collect biometric data and also give input to other devices. Here's what it looks like
It's back to talk about a possible Apple smart ring, already speculated in late 2019 following the discovery of a patent from the Cupertino-based company. And it is another patent, more recent, to make us believe that Apple really wants to make this ring.
The two patents, however, are quite different from each other: while the one of last year described a product with a shape similar to the Amazon Echo Loop, the smart ring of Amazon, this second patent describes a device with a variable shape and that, at least it would seem, could have two different functions: to host a large number of biometric sensors, on the one hand, to be used as an input device, on the other.
Apple smart ring: how it is made
The device described in the patent filed by Apple at the United States Patent and Trademark Office has a telescopic structure inside, which allows it to be shortened or lengthened if necessary. At the two ends of this extendable structure there are two rigid rings, inside of which it is possible to insert buttons (also rotating, as shown in the technical drawing attached to the patent). In the central extensible part, however, you can insert different sensors, from optical to ultrasonic.
The ring is able to detect when it is bent, which opens up the possibility of using the finger wearing it to give input to other devices. Or to make new types of gestures. Finally, this ring connects wirelessly to a second device, which suggests that Apple's smart ring could become an input device for other products of the bitten apple.
When Apple's smart ring comes out
The first patent related to an Apple smart ring dates back to October 2019, this one is very recent: it was filed in February and approved in early March 2020. As always when it comes to patents, there's no guarantee that it will become a product - Apple may well have filed these two technical documents to prevent others from creating such a device. However, the fact that Apple continues to develop smart ring patents actually suggests that the Cupertino-based company is very interested in this type of product. Those who dream of an Apple smart ring, then, may one day actually wear one.