The Apple Watch is undoubtedly one of the most capable wearables on the market, but not everyone wants a device that needs to be recharged daily and constantly demands their attention.

The majority of you have long agreed with me that Apple should also make a smart ring, and today’s launch of the Garmin Cirqa Smart Band adds to the evidence of growing demand for screen-free activity trackers …

I should make it clear at the outset that I’m not arguing a smart ring or fitness band is better than an Apple Watch. For many, the watch is the perfect form factor, and offers a great many capabilities within a single device, including serving as a music player and phone.

But for some people, a screen is a bug rather than a feature. The power consumption means that it needs to be charged on a daily basis, and it’s another device to ping us with notifications we may not need or want. There’s a separate market for a device which silently tracks our health and fitness, and otherwise stays out of our way.

Smart rings

For me, the perfect form factor has turned out to be a smart ring. I first tried one almost two years ago to the day and was quickly sold on it. That saw me abandon the Apple Watch some nine years after buying the original one back in 2015.

The latest generation Oura ring is even sleeker and lighter, and if you’ve ever been tempted to try one, now is certainly the time.

Fitness bands

But a smart ring isn’t the only form factor available if you’re looking for an unobtrusive device that collects data in the background, with only intermittent charging required. Fitness bands like the Fitbit and Whoop also appear to be growing in popularity, leading Garmin to enter the market today.

Garmin today announced CIRQA Smart Band, its first screen-free smart band that tracks advanced fitness and wellness features—all without the need for a subscription. Designed to help users make improvements toward a healthier lifestyle without commanding all their attention, this smart band gets up to 10 days of battery life and provides around-the-clock health and fitness monitoring with data that can instantly be accessed through the Garmin Connect app.

The company cites an inconspicuous design and a comfortable fabric band as key benefits, with the option of wearing it around your wrist or upper arm.

Should Apple expand beyond the Watch?

Do you share my view that Apple should tap into the market for screen-free health and fitness trackers? If so, should that be with an Apple Ring, an Apple Band, or both? Please take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.

Image: 9to5Mac/Garmin

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