The release of Apple’s Augmented Reality (AR) glasses device is thought to be at least four years away, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. Gurman claim that the company’s other AR glasses faced the same issues. He said this while explaining some of the challenges faced in producing a mixed-reality (MR) headset for Apple. The current “ski goggle” style headwear gadget, which uses video transparent transmission tech, was developed in place of the AR glasses. When Apple CEO Tim Cook and its former design leader Jony Ive could not break through with AR glasses, they had to settle for the “ski goggle”.
Huge anticipation for AR glasses
Early on, Apple realised that it was impractical to create a set of potent AR glasses while working on the headset. Engineers estimated that in order to prevent overheating, Apple’s glasses would need to function at a level similar to an iPhone while using only one – tenth of the iPhone’s power.
Former Dolby executive Mike Rockwell was hired by Apple to oversee the development of an experimental headset. He has been trying to get more funding by claiming that the headset is building the framework for AR glasses in the future. However, at the moment, Apple has only given this project a little amount of funding.
According to a project staffer who spoke to Bloomberg, there was a running joke among the project team that the company kept producing this “hopeless” gadget only to please Tim Cook. Rockwell stated that Apple would debut its first headgear in an all – hands event attended by more than 100 staff later that year. He said this despite the fact that the company hasn’t made any real progress with AR glasses as of the time. Due to these issues, the project almost folded up. However, Apple had to delay work on any AR glasses. The company is now allegedly at least four years away from launching any such product.
Apple AR glasses face a bottleneck
Apple‘s AR glasses have been a highly anticipated product for years. However, the company has had to deal with several issues in its development. Here are some of the issues with the production of Apple AR glasses:
Technical Challenges
According to MacWorld report, Apple has faced “technical issues” in the development of its AR glasses. The company’s initial dream of offering a lightweight pair of AR glasses that people could wear all day now appears many years away. Of course, this is if it happens at all because the feature of this device is bleak. Engineers calculated that the glasses would have to provide the full performance of an iPhone. However, it needs to have only a tenth of its power consumption. This is like “eating its cake and having it back”. It is a difficult hurdle for Apple to overcome.
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Analysts have suggested that Apple’s AR glasses could be pushed back to 2025 or 2026 due to “design issues”. However, the date is now pushed even further to 2027. The company is thought to have originally planned to launch the AR specs this year but then delayed it to 2025. However, now the entire project appears to be hanging in the balance.
Postponed Indefinitely
Due to these technical issues, Apple has postponed the release of its AR glasses indefinitely. The company is still planning to release some decent headset this year. However, the AR glasses are facing serious issues and their development is very slow for now.
Apple’s Plans for MR Headset
As we said earlier, Apple is still planning to release its premium MR headset this year. This device will combine both real – world environments and simulated computer imagery rather than entirely virtual spaces. The company will call this device “Reality Pro“. From rumours so far, the Apple Reality Pro headset will boast an ultra – high – resolution 8K display and cutting – edge eye – tracking tech. This device will come with up to 15 cameras and will track users’ eye movements in detail. This will result in a uniquely immersive experience.
However, there are rumours that the price of the device will be well higher than other products. So far, there are estimates that this device should cost about $3,000. This means a lot of people will not be able to own this device. With this price take, the Reality Pro headset will cost twice the price of the iPhone Pro Max. This makes it a luxury item tailored to high – end users. Despite the steep price tag, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, holds high hopes for the Reality Pro headset. He believes that this device will be able to replace the iPhone as the primary tech innovation of the next decade.
Instead of continuing to spend time and resources developing the now-delayed AR glasses, the company plans on producing a less expensive follow-up version of the headset for release in 2024 or early 2025.
Replacement for iPhone
Apple AR glasses are touted as a potential replacement for iPhones. Moving a handset’s functions to a display incorporated into high-tech specs. However, this is not easy to achieve. No doubt, the company sees the tech as a replacement for the iPhone but it will have to wait for some time.
Final Words
In conclusion, Apple has faced several challenges in the production of its AR glasses, including technical difficulties and design issues. The release of these highly anticipated glasses has been postponed indefinitely, and it remains unclear if they will ever be released.
