Oura CEO Says Apple Won't Make a Smart Ring Because 'It's Hard to Do'

[swm]

or maybe, really just maybe, it's pointless? another techno-BS product that no one needs?

 

[mcs37]

I would so love to buy an Apple Ring. I love my Apple Watch but sometimes I would rather wear a normal watch, but still track my steps at all times and have Apple Pay. Honestly my favorite feature of Apple Watch is the Apple Pay! And you could still do an Apple Ring with a display on it to see time and date etc. Even if it's just a dumb ring, I would love to have that.

 

[goobot]

Or it’s just a stupid product category

 

[constantsnags!]

I would wear a smart ring over a smart watch. Unfortunately the Oura seems to be like a Gen 1 Fitbit.

It's turning out to be a whole lot more than that.

 

[bmustaf]

Yup, I have no doubt this would be a good consumer product, but with tech as it is now it is not driving the major revenue, margin, and user engagement parts of their model, but, as AI changes human-computer/device interaction, I suspect this will change. I think we will see displays become far less the primary method of interaction, we already are...

I would still want the smartband to deliver all the same notifications, just in simpler form with a minimalistic LED, so that it’s just less bulky and intrusive than a watch. So the device I’m thinking of probably wouldn’t be much different in terms of revenue than an Apple Watch, in regards to the examples you gave, but it would likely be cheaper to buy. Probably the only way it (or the ring) would happen is if there is more money to be made selling it than to be lost from losing Watch sales.

 

[villagehiker]

Hale said… an Apple smart ring probably won't happen because "it's hard to do this product category right."

The Tom Hale quote published by CBNC says, “I think they’re probably keeping a close eye on Samsung and a close eye on us, but it’s hard to do this product category right.” That's not what MacRumors reported in a secondhand sort of manner. Telephone game in action. Apple makes excellent products and does not seem to worry too much about doing hard things.

 

[NeoSe7en]

Yeah, little ole Apple is just barely trotting out of the gate in the complex tech arena.

 

[matrixjockey]

I'm a guy for which the idea of jewelry on men (even rings) doesn't hold much appeal. I don't think I'd like wearing the weight of a device on a finger. It seems like there would be compromises to make in terms of providing it with enough battery life but also making it light (and waterproof). Jewelry on one's hands can also collect a lot of bacteria. Yeah, I just don't see the value proposition.

It is not heavy at all on the finger. It is made of titanium.

 

[matrixjockey]

I prefer the watch, I’d bet it’s more accurate than a ring, as far as what the ring can do.

Oura rings have better sensors and algorithms than my Apple Watch

 

[AndiG]

Tim Cook says Oura won’t make VR goggles because they’re hard to do.

So hard, even Apple failed 😂 But Meta succeeds, wait a minute …. Steve!!

 

[constantsnags!]

Because "it's hard to do"?

I guess we're all back in the 5th grade again.

My dad has one. When he showed it to me I was amazed at how incredibly cheap it felt, despite all its features.

Also, requiring to wear it on your index finger is a no from me.

You...don't have to wear it on your index finger.

 

[cesko]

Hale may want to read how Balmer and the RIM clowns laughed and criticized Apple's venture into smart phones.

 

[MN7119]

I have been wearing an Oura ring for the past 4 years and it works flawlessly. I only take it out to shower when I put it on the charger. I never thought I would wear a ring but I basically don’t even notice I have it on my finger. I absolutely love it.

 

[Prof.]

You...don't have to wear it on your index finger.

Oh? Both my coworker and Dad told me you get best results on your index finger.

Okay cool!

 

[victorvictoria]

I'm a guy for which the idea of jewelry on men (even rings) doesn't hold much appeal. I don't think I'd like wearing the weight of a device on a finger. It seems like there would be compromises to make in terms of providing it with enough battery life but also making it light (and waterproof). Jewelry on one's hands can also collect a lot of bacteria. Yeah, I just don't see the value proposition.

My first jewelry was an Apple Watch series 6. And I'm 74 years old, so I get it. The bacterial issue, though, that's a canard. Wedding rings have been worn with no documented ill effects for hundreds of years. Maybe thousands.

But like everything else, you get used to having something like a ring or watch. After a while, you don't notice it. And then you start to rely on it. So I'd say you're more a candidate for the watch than the ring. It's simply better.

 

[thebart]

I think they won't make a ring because it's too... simple

Apple seems to prefer the maximalist approach. They built their own chip, switching platforms twice. Not content with car play, they tried to make a car. Their VR puts itself outside of the consumer category. They cram the watch with pretty much everything that can be crammed in. They built their own studio for their streaming service. The ring may be too ding a ling for them

 

[victorvictoria]

Yeah, it's too hard for Apple. But if they did make one, Oura CEO Tom Hale would be the first to bring a patent infrigement case against Apple, wouldn't he?

 

[mazz0]

Huh, I figured Apple won’t make a smart ring because smart rings are a solution in search of a problem, but yeah, maybe he’s right. I mean cramming technology into small packages isn’t exactly Apple’s speciality is it? Oh, right, yeah…

 

[emulator]

perhaps, but also, why? why does everything now have to be a "smart" device or even a "device"?

To sell service. The basic stuff they give you is just that, basic and they wanna upsell their better, more precise, blah blah app/service, access to cloud, etc.

 

[TheGenerous]

where do you put this ring on?
There's like 21 places in my body I can think of

 

[iSayuSay]

Getting tired of all this “satellite device” for your device (smartphone). Smartwatch is already a cumbersome to put on, now we have smart ring to get a few more perks at such a high cost?

Not to mention another custom charger to take when you go out or travels. One Apple Watch puck charger is enough to get me in weird situation when I have to bring yet another special cable. iPhone transition to USB-C was a godsend. Please, no more.

 

[FaustsHausUK]

I was there when everyone said Apple wouldn’t make a phone because it would cannibalise iPod sales, and then they said Apple wouldn’t be successful, and then their companies either went under or left the smartphone industry.

i owned an Oura, it’s decent tech but the software sucked and I didn’t want ANOTHER subscription. I own an Apple Watch, but the bands give me rashes and battery life sucks. An Apple ring could solve all of the above for me.

 

[ksec]

I got my Oura 4 last Friday and started wearing it on Monday morning. It's now Thursday morning where I am, I haven't taken it off, and I've still got 34% battery left. It's very possible. I also haven't worn my AWU2 or Garmin Fenix 7X to sleep since I got it. It's worth it for that alone.

In terms of Health Monitoring, what am I missing comparing the Ring and Apple Watch?

 

[quietstormSD]

There's a lot of overlap, yeah. Where it wins is that you don't have to wear a watch in bed...which I've done for years, until this week.

Yeah I do like that part. The sleep tracking without wearing a watch on your wrist. That is why I liked the Fitbit band. It was slim enough that I didn't feel like I was wearing a device to bed like the Apple Watch. The ring would do the same.

 

[rafark]

if Samsung can do it, Apple can. No excuses.

Can Apple make its own displays?