What is the secret of the red ring in "Apple" watches?

SadaNews - If you have ever noticed a red ring around the circular side button "Digital Crown" on some "Apple" smartwatches, it was not just an arbitrary design touch; it carried significant meaning related to one of the watch's most prominent features.

The red ring that has appeared for years on several models of the Apple Watch indicated that the watch supports cellular connectivity, allowing users to make calls and send messages without needing a nearby iPhone.

Starting with the Apple Watch Series 3

The red ring first appeared with the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017, which was the generation that introduced cellular connectivity support in "Apple" watches, according to a report published by "slashgear" that was reviewed by "Al Arabiya Business".

At that time, the new feature was considered a major shift, as it allowed users to utilize the watch independently from the iPhone for calls, messages, and internet connectivity.

This is why Apple used the red ring as a quick visual means to distinguish GPS + Cellular versions from the regular versions that rely solely on GPS.

The company continued to use this design in subsequent generations, making the red ring a familiar mark indicating that the watch contains a built-in cellular chip.

Why did the red ring disappear?

However, this tradition changed later with the launch of the Apple Watch Ultra in 2022, where "Apple" introduced an orange ring around the Digital Crown instead of red, along with a dedicated orange Action Button.

Two years later, "Apple" completely abandoned the red ring in the Apple Watch Series 10, and the colors of the Digital Crown simply matched the color of the watch case.

Today, the company continues this trend in modern generations such as the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the new Series 10, Series 11, and SE watches, without using the old red ring.

The real reason

"Apple" has not officially revealed the reason for abandoning the red ring, but it is likely that the company wanted to simplify the design and reduce the similarities between models, especially after adopting orange as the visual identity for the Ultra series.

Additionally, cellular connectivity support has become more widespread and customary in modern "Apple" watches, making the red ring less significant as a distinguishing feature compared to what it was when the Series 3 was launched.

Therefore, if you see an Apple Watch today with a red ring, it likely belongs to Series 9 or an older version.