The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro might be the best cheap fitness tracker on the market, but a new patent has revealed the company may also be working on a smart ring that could come with a breakthrough new feature.
The market is currently the domain of giants like Oura and Samsung, whose Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring 4 make up the best smart ring options right now.
Every smart ring today comes in various different sizes, and you usually need to buy a sizing kit to get the right fit. But this annoying and time-consuming process could soon be a thing of the past if Xiaomi’s new patent is anything to go by.
As spotted by 91Mobiles, the patent, filed in China, reveals that Xiaomi is working on a smart ring with an auto-adjustable design. It features an elastic component and a spring mechanism that allows the ring to adjust its size automatically.
One smart ring (size) to rule them all?
If Xiaomi has indeed cracked a one-size-fits-all smart ring, it could be a massive shakeup for the industry. Not only would it reduce the time and cost involved in choosing the right size of a smart ring, but as the report notes it could pave the way for a ring that can be worn on any finger or can be shared by more than one person.
Behind the scenes, such a smart ring would also be cheaper to manufacture and replace in case of issues, possibly reducing the price for consumers.
This ground-breaking advance aside, Xiaomi’s smart ring includes support for Wi-Fi, 5G, and an array of sensors including a gyroscope and temperature. Interestingly, there are also references to a speaker module, a microphone, and a touch panel built into the ring. As the report notes, there are hints too of using the ring to control smartphone features like a camera, suggesting that this could be a companion device like an Apple Watch.
A patent is of course just an idea committed to paper, and not hard evidence of Xiaomi’s upcoming product plans. But it’s safe to say that the company is definitely looking hard into smart rings.
I spent 24 hours with the Samsung Galaxy Ring, and it’s scarily good so farI tried wearing an Oura smart ring and might never go back – but it can’t replace my Apple WatchSorry, there’s no way Apple is canceling its rumored smart ring plans