With the successful launch of the Apple Watch under its belt, Apple now seems to have its sights set on creating a smart ring. News of the device emerged via a patent that was filed by the company and was subsequently published on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website. 

As soon as the patent of the ring-like device emerged, it was picked up by a number of websites including The Verge, which quickly pointed out that it is not the first time that such a device has been discussed and other companies already have offerings in the market. Rumors about the "iRing" came out a while back and at that point in time, it was thought that Apple was conducting research on it. However, in spite of the patent application on the USPTO website, there are no solid indications that Apple will indeed create any such device. 

The patent application describes it as a "ring computing device" and, going by its features, it appears to be a much smaller version of a smartwatch with motion sensors inbuilt to track the activity of the user. As for other features on it, they include a camera and even a microphone, which are also present on the Apple Watch. Also, much like the Apple Watch, the smart ring would be paired with a mobile device like an iPhone. 

While all the features on the smart ring could make it a good offering, there are no indications that Apple is anywhere near releasing it in the market. One main reason for the company's presumed reluctance to create such a device is that batteries to power it are not available. To accommodate a big battery to provide sufficient power, the device's size would have to increase. This bigger size could cause people to shy away from the smart ring. Also, several industry experts have pointed out that the screen on the ring would be really small and this will limit how it is used on a daily basis. 

Finally, if Apple has a smart ring in development, the offering could just be something that is used to control other devices, with motions such as extending or flexing a finger to trigger or convey a different set of commands.