Apple seems to be seriously considering the possibility of releasing its own smart ring. The company has filed a patent for a new gadget that will likely be called the Apple Ring and will compete with Samsung's recently announced Galaxy Ring.
According to the patent documents, the novelty can be equipped with an NFC module to “imitate tags based on biometric data or to record actions related to health, such as taking medication.” The presence of NFC may also indicate the possibility of contactless payments through Apple Pay.
Apple Ring will probably get an accelerometer and a gyroscope, which will allow it to track hand and finger gestures. The device can be equipped with a microphone for working with the Siri voice assistant or for quick replies to messages.
The patent states that motion data from one device can be used to determine the direction of gaze of another device so that commands from the ring are directed there. This involves the ability to map the location of devices that can be controlled with the ring using a combination of gestures, voice commands, direction of gaze and/or touches.
It is also speculated that the Apple Ring may have built-in speakers for responses Siri and the function of finding a lost gadget through Locator.
According to information from 9To5Mac, Apple may release several versions of the Apple Ring. One version will track activity and health, the other — control Siri and the smart home, and the third, with a large battery, will function as a charger. That way, users could charge one ring from the other by using them on adjacent fingers.
At the moment, development of the Apple Ring is in its early stages, and the company can make significant changes or abandon the product, as it happened with the Apple Car project.