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Development on Augmented Reality 'Apple Glasses' Postponed Indefinitely

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Apple has paused development on the augmented reality Apple Glasses that it planned to introduce after its mixed reality headset, reports Bloomberg. Work on the product has been postponed because of technical difficulties.

Apple Glasses Triad Feature
Rumors suggested that Apple wanted to develop a pair of lightweight augmented reality glasses that would be similar to the Google Glass smart glasses. The glasses would provide digital information overlaid on the real world rather than offering immersive virtual experiences like the AR/VR headset, but Apple has not been able to develop the necessary hardware to produce a lightweight wearable that has the power of an iPhone and enough battery life to run it.

Apple initially wanted to release the Apple Glasses in 2023 before delaying the project to 2025, but now the product's launch has been postponed "indefinitely." Apple has also scaled back work on the device, so Apple Glasses will not be launching in the foreseeable future, but Bloomberg says that Apple considers AR glasses to be a product that could one day replace the iPhone.

According to Bloomberg, some Apple employees do not believe that Apple will ever ship AR glasses. Most of Apple's AR/VR group is working on the mixed reality headsets that Apple is planning to produce, but there are still some that are exploring technology for future AR glasses.

Rather than developing augmented reality glasses, Apple is now focused on creating a more affordable mixed reality headset that will appeal to a wider range of consumers. The first AR/VR headset that is set to launch this year will cost somewhere around $3,000, so Apple wants to provide similar capabilities at a cheaper price point in the future.

Details on all of the features included in the first mixed reality headset can be found in our AR/VR roundup.

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Top Rated Comments

CaptMarvel Avatar
CaptMarvel
42 months ago
I’d rather AR glasses than a mixed reality headset, but that’s just me. Still excited to see a new wearable from Apple nonetheless.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
vertsix
42 months ago
I can definitely see this taking off, not a burdensome, gigantic and comically looking headset.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anshuvorty Avatar
anshuvorty
42 months ago
All I will say is that all of these "moonshot" projects have now failed, at least in our lifetimes, sad times:

* self-driving cars
* Google's much-hyped contact lenses for AR use
* AR glasses
* Google's Project Loon - remember that?
* Facebook's all-access internet
* Apple's Car project

These tech companies are slowly coming to the conclusion that there are mortal, just like everyone else, no matter how much your market cap is.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
HiVolt
42 months ago
I'm glad. Apple has split itself into too many directions as is, IMO. And it shows with the lack of quality in the software especially.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
E
ersan191
42 months ago
Of course we would rather have these than bulky VR goggles, but they just aren't technically possible right now without a ton of deal-breaking drawbacks. Companies have abandoned AR contact lens development as well.

Yet another VR headset isn't all that interesting to me, since I've owned them since the Rift DK1 - a lot of new people are going to spend a lot of money to try Apple's out for a few months and realize it's uncomfortable and inconvenient, no matter how impressive the tech is.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
jz0309
42 months ago
Well, “headset” is not the answer in the long run either…
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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