Apple could launch a connected ring to compete with Samsung by 2026, in line with CCS Insight, reinforcing the US tech giant's give attention to health.
The call is a component of CCS Insight's annual forecast report and if it comes true, it might be the Cupertino giant's first latest product for the reason that launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset this yr.
“Healthcare has turn out to be a mainstay for Apple. In fact, I might even say that the purpose at which Tim Cook decides to relinquish control and retire… I would love to contemplate that as one in all his biggest legacies. “Apple would be about personal health,” said Ben Wood, principal analyst at CCS Insight, told CNBC's “Beyond the Valley” podcast, released Tuesday.
“Considering Tim Cook's deep and personal commitment to health, I think a ring is a very complementary extension for Apple,” he said, referring to Apple CEO Cook.
Wood highlighted Apple's give attention to health, from products just like the Apple Watch with all its sensors to the most recent AirPods Pro 2 headphones that convert into hearing aids.
Similar to smartwatches, a sensible ring has various sensors integrated to trace health data equivalent to heart rate.
Oura was one in all the pioneers in the sector, but Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring this yr, bringing this form of product to a bigger audience because it looks to make a much bigger push into the healthcare space.
Priced at $399, the Samsung Galaxy Ring expands the South Korean tech giant's product portfolio from smartphones to smartwatches because it goals to lock users into the device world.
Apple is pursuing the same strategy with its product lineup, attempting to keep its already loyal customers within the hardware ecosystem. A hoop would add one other product to that portfolio, Wood said.
Unlike other consumer electronics items, rings are complicated from a retail perspective because people have different sized fingers. Samsung offers rings in numerous sizes and colours, and users receive a set of sample sizes before purchasing a hoop.
Wood said Apple differs from Samsung in that it has a big and stylish physical retail space, which might help any try and sell a Ring product to customers.
“I also think their retail presence is ideal for this because rings are complex products that need to be brought to market,” Wood told CNBC.
Rings are also fashion items. Wood said Apple's products still have market appeal.
“Apple is a brand that enjoys a certain quantity of praise for being a product that folks are happy with. And I feel a beautifully designed ring from Apple might be one in all those things that's almost type of a standing symbol,” Wood said.
image credit : www.cnbc.com