Rumours of a so-called "iRing" from Apple have been circling — pardon the pun — for years.
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But what may have originated as iFantasy could end up becoming reality, following news the tech giant has filed a patent for a wearable smart ring device.
The pie-in-the-sky gadget includes a touch screen, haptic feedback and voice control, sharing similar traits to this year's Apple Watch, which was the company's first ever wearable device.
As with its smartwatch, Apple describes in the October 1 patent a ring which will notify its wearer of incoming messages or other alerts with a gentle tap on the finger, via "haptic actuators".
But the ring appears to be far more geared towards controlling other devices than being a more passive extension of them.
The patent describes a voice command function as well as motion sensors, and the use of near-field communication (NFC) technology, to communicate with other devices. Yep — just wave your hand, and your wish is the ring's command, Green Lantern style.
The patent specifically lists external devices it might work with, including lights, "devices at work", smart TVs, smartphones, smartwatches, laptops, tablets, car audio or phone systems, and game consoles.
There are actually already plenty of so-called smart rings out there, including the MOTA, the NFC Ring, Ringly, Nod Gesture Ring and, er, Ring.
Most of these are limited to push notifications or NFC-based gesture commands, however, whereas Apple's patent outlines many more features.
In addition to the touch screen, there are "sensors to detect the intensity of a contact with the touch-sensitive surface" — in other words, the "Force Touch" we saw on the Apple Watch, also reincarnated as "3D Touch" in the just-released iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
The patent lists a few different incarnations of what the smart ring might look like, variously featuring a microphone, speaker, one or two "haptic actuators" (two would be able to give directions by tapping either side of your finger, for example), a dial, wireless charging, a biometric sensor for fitness tracking, NFC, and the ability to capture writing in digital form by reading gestures (including from actually writing with a pen) or from input on the touch screen.
Apple says its "wearable ring device" would provide "a more discreet, safer, more efficient, or more ergonomic way to interact with touch pads or touch screens", allowing users to multi-task like never before.
Apple does have a history of filing patents around just about anything — regardless of whether or not it actually ends up manufacturing them — so it can beat competitors to the punch.
And, given its delay in releasing a smartwatch (the Apple Watch came literally years after flagship Android smartwatches were released, with Apple apparently striving for perfection, or near enough, before it released anything) it's highly unlikely Apple will front up with a more complex and compact wearable like a ring in the near future.
That won't stop iFans' tongues wagging, of course.
