Apple Creates A New Product With Soli-Like Capabilities That Allows Users Touch-Free iPhone & iPad Control

Several sites reported earlier today that Apple had won the patent for Smart Ring. The patent was filed on Oct. 2015, and the approval arrived four years after. If Apple pursues this patent and develops it into a product, it will greatly revolutionize the ways users access their iPhones and iPads.

The Apple Smart Ring patent application describes the device as a wearable electronic ring that allows users to control devices without the need to touch them. The design includes a touchscreen with hand gesture control and voice command, among others. The patent is dubbed as “Devices, Methods, and User Interfaces for A Wearable Electronic Ring Computing Device.”

It comes with the illustrations of the possible ring design and enumerates intended features, including a wireless transceiver and a power source that can be recharged. Additionally, the Apple Smart Ring is designed to be worn on a finger and does not seem to be a standalone Apple product. Instead, it is intended to provide and enhance the user experience of bigger Apple devices like the iPad and the iPhone.

The Cupertino-based tech giant explains in the patent application that touchscreen devices could sometimes become inconvenient, cumbersome, and inefficient for accessing and executing several applications and tasks. Additionally, it mentions that holding devices like the iPad or iPhone for a long period could cause fatigue to some users. The Apple Smart Ring could provide a more efficient approach in controlling those devices from a particular distance.

The Cupertino-based tech titan also highlights the safety features of the Apple Smart Ring. According to Apple, the light released by most touchscreen devices could be inappropriate in several social environments and could pose a risk if it reveals the position of a user who could be in great danger. Apple believes that its revolutionary ring could be a more discreet and safer way to access Apple devices, especially in dangerous situations.

The functionalities of the Apple Smart Ring is somewhat similar to Project Soli that Google is currently improving. It recently released the Google Pixel 4 with Soli radar chip that allows users to access the device without the need to physically touch it. Apple has not yet released any statement related to the Apple Smart Ring, but fans are already excited to get their hands on the revolutionary ring.