The emergence of Oura’s smart ring has sparked speculation on whether Apple might venture into the smart ring market itself. Interestingly, Oura’s CEO seems to believe that Apple is unlikely to do so, and his reasoning includes an inviting challenge to the tech giant.
Apple’s wearables lineup may not necessitate a smart ring
In a recent interview, Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, addressed concerns about the potential introduction of an Apple smart ring in the future (as reported by MacRumors).
Arjun Kharpal covers this for CNBC:
“I believe they [Apple] are skeptical about the necessity of having both a ring and a watch simultaneously, and they’re not keen on diminishing the Apple Watch as a business,” Hale remarked during an interview with CNBC at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. “I suspect they are keeping tabs on Samsung and on us, but mastering this product category is quite challenging.”
Hale’s observation about the reluctance to dilute the Apple Watch market is notable. Nearly a decade after its launch, Apple continues to enjoy significant success with the Apple Watch.
Moreover, Apple boasts another highly successful wearable: AirPods. With the release of iOS 18.1, Apple introduced several important health functionalities for AirPods Pro 2, and more health features are reportedly on the horizon for upcoming AirPods versions.
While Hale’s mention of the challenges in this product category may seem intriguing, it certainly feels like bait.
Creating the Oura Ring likely involved considerable complexities, but Apple undoubtedly possesses the expertise necessary to develop a competitor if it chooses to. At this juncture, there appears to be little incentive for them to do so.
What are your thoughts? Should Apple delve into the smart ring market? Share your opinions in the comments.
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