The editor of Downcodes learned that Tom Hale, CEO of smart ring manufacturer Oura, recently accepted an interview with CNBC at the Lisbon Web Summit and expressed negative views on Apple's entry into the smart ring field. He believes that Apple is unlikely to launch a smart ring, which is related to Apple’s strategy of focusing its health technology strategy on Apple Watch. As soon as this statement came out, it triggered heated discussions in the industry. After all, Samsung has launched its first smart ring, and market analysts have predicted that Apple will follow up in 2026.
Previously, with Samsung launching its first smart ring this year, market analysts had predicted that Apple might launch similar products in 2026. However, Oura, a leader in the smart ring market since 2013, takes a negative stance on this prediction.
Hale explained: Apple does not believe in the value proposition of combining the ring and watch business, and they will not make any decisions that may weaken the Apple Watch business. He added that while Apple may be keeping a close eye on Samsung and Oura, smart rings are a challenging product category.
Compared with smart watches, smart rings can provide users with all-day health, activity and sleep monitoring due to their advantages such as lightweight and long-lasting battery life. However, under the leadership of Apple CEO Tim Cook, the company has always focused its health technology strategy on Apple Watch and its supporting services.
It is worth noting that against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition in the wearable device market, Oura has launched a new generation of Oura Ring4 products to continue to consolidate its market position in the field of smart rings.
Oura CEO’s views add more suspense to whether Apple will enter the smart ring market. Although the smart ring market has huge potential, its technical challenges and market competition are also extremely fierce. Oura's continued innovation and market performance deserve attention. It remains to be seen how the smart wearable device market will evolve in the future. The editor of Downcodes will continue to pay attention to relevant developments and bring the latest reports to readers.