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

[TracesOfArsenic]

In general, Apple isn't worried about cannibalization.

But yeah, I don't think Apple will do a smart ring unless it can do blood pressure monitoring.

100% they are worried. It's why we don't have touch screen Macs. They make iPads redundant.

 

[3304614]

I’m of the belief that people who wear rings do so because they haven’t yet seen pictures of a “degloving” finger injury.

(Although… do yourself a favor and DON’T do an image search of that. It’s terrible.)

It’s not a super common injury. However, when it does happen, it can be quite a devastating injury (sometimes requiring amputation).

If you want/need to wear rings, opting for something like a soft silicon ring that can easily and safely break away might be a good idea. There are many silicon rings that look very nice (nice enough looking to use as wedding rings).

 

[GraXXoR]

I know the company is legit but this sort of soundbite makes them sound like Elizabeth Holmes.

 

[ZeApelido]

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

Actually signal quality for optical heartrate sensing is more accurate on the fingers than the wrist.

There's a reason why SpO2 measurements in the hospital are done on the finger.

 

[ZeApelido]

2. The smart ring and "tiny, wearable, fitness jewelry/tracker without a display" market is not booming by any means. Not stagnant, or dying. But just slowly growing.

Apple doesn't need to make moves in this category until its booming or until it starts eating significant chunks of Apple Watch sales.

Interestingly Oura is growing revenues at a 100% YoY rate, up to 500 million a year now.

Oura Nears $500 Million in Annual Revenue and Readies New Ring

Oura Health Oy, a Finnish health technology company known for its fitness-tracking rings, will see annual sales double this year to roughly $500 million and expects “healthy” growth in 2025.

www.bloomberg.com

If acquired would probably take 5-10 billion.

I have a ring - outside of the accuracy the best thing is the simplicity. It is easy to wear especially at night way more than wristwatches and the subtle look doesn't make it look like I have some obnoxious gadget on me.

 

[mannyvel]

100% they are worried. It's why we don't have touch screen Macs. They make iPads redundant.

touchscreen mac != iPad. I use touchscreen PCs at work. They're great for some things. I also have an IPP, Mac Mini, MBP, and iPhone. A touchscreen mac would be handy.

 

[SebCohen]

Just checked what it is. Its most remarkable characteristic is the price: an annual fee of €264 to be allowed to use it. Maybe the product should be called Whopp…

I said I'm researching. I'm uncertain if I need the functions. But I'm willing to pay the subscription to avoid another screen to look at 😎. But the sleep tracking is my main think

 

[Quu]

If Apple releases a ring you can bet there will be people using it as engagement rings haha

 

[JosephAW]

Apple is probably already beyond a wearable ring, they’re probably testing something in-house it doesn’t involve wearing anything but still measures data. Maybe something that’s the size of a grain of rice that’s inserted under the skin and operates via radio waves.

 

[Bodhitree]

The real question is, how would you handle upselling the ring to a watch? And if the Oura ring is already the same price, would you raise the price of the watch?

I have an Apple Watch, and I find the battery life just a disaster. I find the fitness tracking marginally useful, but for me the whole product category is a bust.

 

[tom2517]

Actually signal quality for optical heartrate sensing is more accurate on the fingers than the wrist.

There's a reason why SpO2 measurements in the hospital are done on the finger.

But Oura stinks in HR tracking during activities, that’s pretty much most oura ring users wear some kind of wrist tracker during activities.

 

[840quadra]

Okay, but still not interested in one.

I may be antique in thinking this, but if I have tech that I am wearing, I want to be able to interact with it. And, as a general rule, I don't really like wearing tech. The Pixel and Apple Watch help me reduce other tech that I "need" to have near me, but take them off when I am not using them.

 

[Onelifenofear]

Of course they won’t, they sell like 1000 a year.

They solve nothing a watch can’t do better.

But at least rings do have the added benefit of being massively uncomfortable for half the population.

 

[bruno7]

Why tf do we need these devices? Have we really gotten this lazy? Is it really so hard to reach into my pocket and take out the phone? Or flip my wrist to pay with my phone?

Having said that...

If some company finally builds a SmartPlug that I can stick into my left nostril, doesn't fall out when running and plays Van Halen's Jump every time I sneeze... I'll buy it immediately!
BTW - I also must be able to pay with it at the counter, of course.

Fingers crossed!

 

[svish]

Very possible for Apple to do it. Maybe not immediately.

 

[bLackjackj]

Not that hard really 😉💰

 

[bLackjackj]

Or maybe;

 

[cicalinarrot]

I call reverse-sour-grapes on this.

 

[Cunir]

Apple would probably put a little screen on it for notifications and kill the battery life

 

[Tago]

Smart-rings are equivalents to wedding rings.

The smart thing isn`t the ring, but who it hitches you to. And my advice is better not to hitch than getting hitched to the wrong partner. If you got the right partner, you don`t need a ring.

 

[miric]

Apple Ring Pro....coming soon

It's time for smart (not) jokes.

 

[miric]

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

It's hard to do something decent. It's not about Syusyunk mastercrapieces 😂

 

[pmbooks]

I returned the Gen4 the day after it arrived. I'd written to them about the lights (on the Gen3) and they wrote back some gibberish about the lights no longer being visible to the human eye. Riiiiiight—the new ring's lights were even brighter than before, like Xmas tree lights, all green and red and white.

 

[SmugMaverick]

The moment Apple makes a ring, his company will be DEAD.

It's already losing people to the galaxy ring.

 

[iMean]

Sth. Sth.