Apple patented for a ring-style wearable

Apple has been on a roll lately, and to no one’s surprise, it has officially designed a smart ring. The tech giant recently applied to patent a “ring computing device,” which contains a ring-mounted touchscreen, a computer processor, wireless transceiver, and a rechargeable power source. Yes, all of it fits in one finger piece.

Similar to Apple’s smartwatch descriptions, the patent shows the same features, just smaller. It explains that the smart ring would ideally be worn on the first finger of either hand, and be operated using a second finger through buttons or a scroller similar to the Apple Watch’s rotating crown.

A sketch of Apple's smart ring.

Most images of the product have a small touch screen that responds to differences in pressure, like the 3D Touch feature in the iPhone 6S. And it’s likely that Siri would make it aboard Apple’s ring, since it supposedly will be activated by voice commands. Also included is a microphone and speaker, so it appears that the device will be able to field phone calls as well.

With a mix of input methods from its touch screen and buttons to voice command and even gestures, the ring could also be used to operate a variety of other devices, such as an iPhone or Apple TV, Homekit smart home devices, or in-car entertainment systems like CarPlay.

The smart ring will include a touchscreen that responds to differences in pressure.

Of course, the ring would be able to communicate to the device it’s paired with via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or NFC. The patent even outlines a scenario where the user is able to transfer money to someone else with a handshake, and authorize the transaction with a voice command.

And like most smartphones and smartwatches, the ring will also include biometric sensors to monitor the user’s heart rate.

There are a few different design options to the smart ring. One is round, and the other is rectangular.

There’s no guarantee that we’ll be seeing Apple’s ring anytime soon, because, as any loyal Apple follower would know, the company is well-known for patenting products without building them. But there's a whole future out there, so chances are it's fairly likely we'll see this technology come to the surface and drive Apple aficionados into a frenzy. 

Source: Apple Insider