Apple looks to expand into digital glasses
Apple is reportedly developing digital glasses with the ability to connect to iPhones and display augmented reality content. The company has ordered a number of near-eye displays to test the potential device, and will likely launch the glasses in 2018 if it goes ahead. Apple was already granted a patent for the creation of smart glasses with digital displays earlier in November. CEO Tim Cook is said to be directing the company towards AR rather than VR, and the company has acquired AR-focused start-ups such as Metaio, Flyby and PrimeSense to develop new products.
Apple is working on a wearable device similar to Google Glass that would blend an augmented reality display with a standard pair of glasses, according to a report from Bloomberg News. The company is still exploring the smart glasses market, the report states, so it’s unclear when a finished product will materialize. The earliest time frame for a product reveal is 2018, yet Apple could sit on the project for much longer or change its direction as it has with its automotive ambitions.

Apple is exploring both AR and VR

It’s been well known for months now that Apple has been collecting AR talent and putting minds to work in secret on some type of consumer product. CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly answered AR-related questions on quarterly earnings calls, saying he thinks the technology has more potential than its virtual reality counterpart and coyly hinting at Apple’s plans to enter the space. However, as of September of this year, Apple continues to hire both AR and VR experts, leaving open the possibility that it could develop products in both categories.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has already had talks with potential suppliers for components like near-eye displays. It also has the expertise behind companies like PrimeSense, Metaio, and Flyby, all startups that were focused on AR software, 3D mapping, and computer vision before Apple acquired them over the course of the last three years. The goal is to develop a pair of glasses that could connect wirelessly to an iPhone and overlay information on the wearer’s field of vision.

Apple has acquired a number of startups specializing in AR software

AR is not without its hurdles. Google Glass was a massive flop, giving AR a sour public image and showing just how far the technology needs to go before it can be worn on our face. The most capable headset available to the public right now is the developer version of Microsoft’s HoloLens, which costs $3,000. Another startup, Magic Leap, continues to work in secret on AR technology it will not discuss in detail.