While the Apple rumor mill has recently been focusing on the company’s reported mixed reality headset, Apple engineers are also believed to be working on a pair of high-tech glasses featuring augmented reality (AR) technology.
The tech giant has remained characteristically tight-lipped on the matter, though a new report from 9to5Mac suggests that it’s aiming to launch the advanced specs in “late 2024.” That means they could arrive a whole two years after Apple’s AR/VR headset, which some suggest will be unveiled later this year before landing in stores in early 2023.
The information comes courtesy of oft-quoted analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong Intl Tech Research, who in a note seen by 9to5Mac said he believes that Apple will introduce its first AR glasses in the second half of 2024.
Additionally, Pu also claimed that Apple would launch the second generation of its AR/VR headset in late 2024, around the same time as the AR glasses and about a year after the first-gen headset seems set to land.
Not a great deal is known about Apple’s rumored glasses. Most leaks in recent months have referenced Apple’s AR/VR headset, with Apple engineers reportedly having recently presented a prototype of the device to the company’s top team, including Apple CEO Tim Cook.
It’s certain that the mixed reality headset will be the more advanced of the two devices, likely packing a suite of AR/VR technologies powered by Apple Silicon and possibly including an 8K display for each eye. The so-called “Apple Glasses,” meanwhile, will reportedly function primarily as a display for the iPhone, showing information transmitted from the handset.
With the first iteration of the rumored specs apparently a long way from any kind of launch, it’s possible that Apple is still fiddling with the design, so the final product could be markedly different from the one it’s playing with today. The company could even abandon the project if it feels it’s not making any progress with it.
There’s certainly a lot more information out there regarding the AR/VR headset, suggesting it’s well on its way to becoming a … ahem … reality.