However, the company would face competition from Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and Samsung's upcoming Galaxy smart ring. Despite not actively working on a smart ring, some Apple employees see it as a budget-friendly alternative for health and fitness tracking for those who don't wear an Apple Watch. The smart ring would also compete with Oura and Samsung's Galaxy smart ring, which is set to release later this year.
Key takeaways:
- Apple is considering new ideas for future wearables, including a smart ring and smart glasses, and is also exploring ways to advance its existing AirPods with tiny cameras that could bring AI benefits.
- Apple has issued a number of patents for smart glasses and smart rings over the past 10 years, but filing a patent doesn't necessarily mean the company will produce the device.
- The idea of smart glasses from Apple is currently in an "exploratory phase" known as "technology investigation" by the company's hardware engineers.
- Apple is also testing out putting low-resolution cameras onto earbuds that are around the same size as current AirPods in a project codenamed B798, which could potentially help people keep track of their daily activities and optimize their daily routines.