Apple is about to enter the “second phase of development” of a prototype augmented reality glasses, according to a paywalled preview of a DigiTimes story seen by MacRumors. The full report should be released tomorrow with further details.
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In June 2020 BloombergMark Gurman reported that Apple is developing both an AR / VR headset and AR glasses. Gurman said Apple’s headset prototypes resemble a smaller version of Facebook’s Oculus Quest, while the glasses would be slimmer and lighter. In an internal meeting, Apple reportedly said the headset may be announced in 2021 and released in 2022, while the glasses are expected to arrive in 2023 at the earliest.
Gurman claimed that Apple’s glasses would cover information such as text messages and maps in front of the wearer’s eyes, and he also said that users can control the glasses with Siri. His report added that Apple is planning an App Store for its AR / VR headset, but has not specified whether the storefront extends to the glasses.
Earlier this week, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple vendors are preparing for an unspecified augmented reality device in 2021. Kuo also expects Apple’s highly anticipated AirTags item trackers, new AirPods, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models at Apple Silicon and an iPad Pro with a Mini LED display introduced year round.
We will update this post as needed once it is complete DigiTimes report is released.