LinkedIn.com, June 2026-Every few years, Apple faces a version of the same question: what’s the next form factor? The iPod gave way to the iPhone. The iPhone gave rise to the Watch. And now, as the wearables category matures and health becomes the company’s most visible long-term bet, a new question is surfacing in product circles and on enthusiast forums alike — could a smart ring be Apple’s next meaningful hardware move?
Having spent years inside Apple’s product culture, and many more since then tracking where consumer technology is headed, I find this question more interesting than most “what will Apple do next” speculation. That’s because it isn’t really about a new gadget. It’s about a strategic fork in the road: does Apple expand its health platform by adding a new form factor, by deepening the one it already owns, or by doing both at once?
Read the entire article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/apple-smart-ring-next-big-thing-kelli-richards-fot5c/