Apple has long been known to be working on an AR glass named Apple Glass. The company filed patents related to a 3D display technology and unique privacy features. A recent patent application from related to a “Dual-Axis Hinge Mechanism” designed specifically for eyewear hints that the company is continuing the development of its smart glass. Reportedly, Apple is expanding its visual product team aiming to speed up the development of its smart glass.
The main technical challenge is to maintain a lightweight and portable design all while ensuring a reasonably good AR experience for users. It is important to mention, that the Apple Vision Pro is actually a virtual reality product with great cameras that mimic an AR device but still has some limitations.
Although a launch date for Apple’s smart glass has not been announced yet, industry analysts expect the product to reach the market by 2026 or 2027. Clearly, Apple faces numerous challenges in delivering a significantly better user experience than what is currently available with Meta’s offerings. The company also took the same approach with the Apple Vision Pro.
If Apple manages to come up with a product that looks and feels like an ordinary glass, but integrates AR technology and is connected to the phone, it will be a notable achievement in the product space. People will be able to do many things they do with their phones without having to touch the phone. Two key areas that could benefit from the new development could be navigation and finding information from the web.
Giants like Meta and Google are also investing in AR technology, aiming to capture market share early. We will need to see how successful Apple becomes with its AR smart glass and what the pricing will be for the product.
