Apple is developing fundamentally new smart ring and foldable iPhone: What is known about them?

Apple is developing a smart ring and a foldable iPhone. The first device is clearly being created to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Ring, while the second will help the company penetrate the rapidly growing foldable device market.

Smart ring

The ring, according to MacRumors, will be similar to a fitness tracker and will be able to collect information about the user’s health. With its help, it is expected to be possible to measure heart rate, monitor ECG and track sleep. It is possible that the smart ring will also receive functions for controlling other devices and the possibility of contactless NFC payments.

According to the publication, Apple has been working on the concept of a smart ring for several years, as evidenced by several patents registered by the company. It is possible that the development of the device was accelerated by the announcement of the Galaxy Ring from Samsung.

Like MacRumors, the company is now keeping a close eye on the market to see if Samsung's Smart Ring could become a more convenient and energy-efficient watch alternative.

The Galaxy Ring is expected to go into mass production in the second half of 2024. It is still unknown when a similar ring from Apple will appear. No matter how much Apple is in a hurry now, it is unlikely to be able to release a smart ring faster than its competitor.

Foldable iPhone

Apple is also actively developing a foldable iPhone. According to GizmoChina, the company plans to release a new product in the next two years.

According to a report from South Korean source Alpha Biz, cited by GizmoChina, the foldable iPhone could arrive as early as September 2026. The company hopes to sell 50 million devices in the first year, which indicates Apple's confidence in the new product, since this goal is significantly higher than the current size of the foldable device market.

To speed up development, Apple brought in some of the employees who had previously designed the Vision Pro mixed reality headset to the project. Perhaps the company hopes to achieve a durable flexible display with the help of people who were able to solve some rather complex technical problems when developing the headset.

According to Alpha Biz, company employees are now working with two prototypes of a folding iPhone: one of them is similar to the Galaxy Z Flip, the second is similar to the Galaxy Z Fold. Apple is most likely leaning towards the second option, since the large and thick case allows the device to use more durable mechanisms.