Apple is planning to expand its wearable portfolio with the all-new Smart Ring, Smart Glasses, and more products, according to the latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Here’s a rundown of what might be in the pipeline.
Smart Ring for Fitness Junkies
Smart Ring seems to have become the hot favourite gadget of tech giants. Recently, Samsung showcased its upcoming Galaxy Ring at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024. We have also seen Indian players like boAt and Noise venture into the segment.
It seems like Apple is feeling the heat and has started to explore the idea of a potential Apple Smart Ring. Gurman stated, “A few years back, Apple’s design squad tossed an idea about a smart ring that tracks health stats, borrowing from the Apple Watch. It’s not in the works yet, but the notion is floating around.”
Think of it as a budget-friendly device for health tracking without the full-blown watch commitment.
Apple’s smart ring will help track health data like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and more at a much more affordable price as compared to the Apple Watch. It will also work with Apple’s Health and Fitness apps. Plus, it will be a lot more comfortable to wear. Not much is known about the device as of now.
Smart Glasses: Beyond Vision
The analyst further stated that Apple’s engineers are also working on an idea for smart glasses. It’s not the sci-fi kind yet, but it’s something more practical. Something with audio, AI, and cameras rolled into one.
Unlike the current Vision Pro, it seems like a step towards Apple’s dream of augmented reality spectacles you can practically use all day. While the dream specs might take a while, a more down-to-earth version is on the horizon.
It is also expected to be cheaper than the latest Vision Pro headset. These smart glasses are also expected to work as an AirPods replacement with some extra battery and AI tricks on the table.
Fancy AirPods
Interestingly, it doesn’t mean the Cupertino Giant is ditching its TWS business. According to the report, Apple is eyeing a makeover for its AirPods. It’s an early project at the moment called B798. Gurman stated that the company is exploring ways to include tiny cameras, more brain power from AI, and health sensors into AirPods.
It seems like the tech giant is working towards bringing some of the perks of smart glasses without the frames.
What’s Driving This?
The report stated that Apple’s wearables division, comprising the Apple Watch and AirPods, has become a significant revenue stream, accounting for 10% of the company’s earnings. As overall sales experienced a dip last year, Apple is pressured to innovate and introduce low-cost wearables to stimulate growth without cannibalizing existing product sales.
What’s Next?
Beyond wearables, Apple is also exploring ways to give a makeover to its HomePod. Recent buzz suggests a HomePod with an iPad-like display might be in the works, as spotted in iOS beta versions.
We saw something similar on the Android front when Google introduced its Pixel tablet, which can be attached to a smart speaker that can wirelessly charge the device and also serves as a Google Home with a large display.
Details regarding the aforementioned products are rather scarce, considering official information is still unavailable. We will keep you in the loop once we get more on this. So, stay tuned.
