Chinese electronics manufacturer Honor is in the process of developing a smart ring, as revealed by its CEO in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. This announcement comes hot on the heels of Samsung’s recent unveiling of its smart ring.
Samsung introduced the Galaxy Ring just the day before, following earlier teasers. Marking the company’s inaugural venture into this product category, the Galaxy Ring boasts multiple sensors designed to monitor various health metrics, including the wearer’s heart rate. This launch aligns with Samsung’s broader initiative toward health-centric technologies.
Honor’s CEO, George Zhao, disclosed the company’s plans for its smart ring during an interview with CNBC at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. “Internally, we have this kind of solution, now we are working on that part, so in the future, you can have the Honor ring,” he stated.
While Zhao provided scant details about the product, he emphasized its role within the company’s overarching health-focused strategy.
Following its separation from Huawei in 2020 due to U.S. sanctions, Honor has aggressively pursued the release of its line of smartphones and sought to expand its global footprint, particularly in the premium market segment, where it aims to compete with industry giants like Apple and Samsung.
In addition to smartphones, Honor has diversified its product offerings to include wearables such as smartwatches, which also incorporate health monitoring features.
The introduction of a smart ring could further enhance Honor’s product lineup, potentially integrating with its existing health app ecosystem, akin to Samsung’s approach.
Zhao underscored the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in delivering advanced health insights to users. “This hardware capability will work together with AI-enabled apps (and) can help you make the professional training course tailored for you because they studied your habits and health data to give you professional suggestions,” he explained. “I think AI will transform this kind of application.”
At the Mobile World Congress, Honor showcased its AI capabilities, including technology on its smartphones capable of tracking users’ eye movements to execute functions.
