Apple files a patent to put iOS around your finger
April 1st is a notorious time of the year for pranks, which is why, when news spread on April 1st 2015 that a new patent was filed, detailing a Bluetooth-enabled smart ring, we did take the news with more than a grain of salt. The original design belongs to Vescovi Marcos Regis and Van Os Marcel, or Santa Cruz, California.
As it turned out, the patent not only is authentic, but it was also acquired yesterday October 1st, by none other than Apple Inc. with title “Devices and Methods for a Ring Computing Device”.
The abstract of the patent is very specific, and describes a finger-mounted touchscreen, which includes a computer processor, wireless transceiver, and a rechargeable battery.
Unlike the Apple Watch, this concept device will be worn on the first, or index finger, and will be controlled with a second finger, most likely the thumb, making the device easy to use with only one hand.
The Apple Ring (as we assume that the “iAge” is over), will feature two haptic actuators, one designed to receive input, and a second to broadcast tactile feedback, enabling Force Touch capabilities.
The difference in functionality between the Apple Watch and the Apple Ring, from what we gathered, by delving further into the patent application, will be very small, except that with a smaller screen, the amount of information that can be conveyed could be limited to basic notifications. Having said that, the ring also features a microphone, which means the ability to issue voice commands to a paired iPhone or other iOS device, through Siri.
An Apple TV remote on your finger
An interesting use case is described in Claim 11, where the device is described as a method for controlling a remote electronic device. For lack of better specifics, we can only speculate that the Apple Ring could one day be able to control an Apple TV set top box, through haptic commands, such as gestures, and voice commands.
Here is why an Apple Ring could be even more successful than the Apple Watch
An Apple Ring would be received in two very distinct, but equally positive ways: on one hand, it carries some delightfully retro qualities, likely to cater to a more mature audience. On the other hand, an Apple Ring is a device with an obviously smaller footprint than an Apple Watch, which allows greater privacy when receiving notifications, by simply turning the ring display around, in such a way that any information sent from a paired iOS device will only be visible by opening the palm of one’s hand.