Updated
Updated · CNET · Jul 12
Analyst Urges Apple to Build $300 Smart Ring as Watch’s 1-Day Battery Limits Sleep Tracking
Updated
Updated · CNET · Jul 12

Analyst Urges Apple to Build $300 Smart Ring as Watch’s 1-Day Battery Limits Sleep Tracking

2 articles · Updated · CNET · Jul 12

Summary

  • Apple’s daily-charge watch is missing overnight health data, prompting a call for a companion smart ring that could stay on the body for a week or more.
  • That battery trade-off stems from the Apple Watch’s stronger sensors, algorithms and frequent sampling, which improve workout accuracy but drain power far faster than rings such as Oura.
  • Oura Ring 5 lasted more than a week in the report and tracked average heart rate closely, though its peak reading during a 3-mile run was 8 beats per minute below a chest strap.
  • Apple already has health infrastructure, ring-related patents dating to 2015 and rivals showing the model can work, with Samsung and Google combining watch and ring or band data.
  • The opening may grow as the smart-ring market is projected to expand from $519 million in 2026 to $3.77 billion by 2034, even as Apple has reportedly avoided the category over Apple Watch cannibalization concerns.

Insights

If Apple's iRing offers free health insights, can Oura's subscription model possibly survive?
Is the smart ring just a temporary fix for the smartwatch's fundamental battery problem?
How might an Apple Ring and Vision Pro combine to redefine our daily technology interactions?