Reportedly, Apple Continues to Develop Augmented Reality Spectacles
Apple's AR glass adventure isn't drawing to a close just yet. Contrary to earlier claims, Apple seems to be sticking with its AR ambitions, despite the rocky road it's traversed with the Vision Pro. The latest scoop comes from our go-to insider, who walked back their earlier claim of Apple shelving the AR glasses project.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman had a change of heart, revealing that Apple may have scrapped the interim AR glasses products intended to rival Ray-Ban's Meta AI-powered smart glasses. Known internally as N107, these glasses were envisioned to operate with an iPhone or Mac but failed to spark interest during trials. The reason for its underwhelming response? Apple's Vision Group boss, John Ternus, isn't keen on yet another misstep following the Vision Pro's subpar sales performance.
The Vision Pro, a $3,500 VR headset, wasn't exactly a hit, with sales dropping since its mid-2021 debut. Despite its stellar display and high-end hand tracking, the device's price tag and restricted content offerings made it a tough sell. Yet, Apple continues to push the AR glasses agenda, with plans to improve the technology's display screens in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, competitors are gearing up to unleash their AR glasses innovations. Meta, for instance, is prepped to reveal multiple wearables this year, with aspirations to move hundreds of millions of units. Samsung's not far behind, teasing its own AR technology at the Galaxy Unpacked event.
Apple, naturally, isn't immune to these challenges. While some AR concepts remain stuck in the secondary screen category, battling battery drain concerns, others like the Vision Pro and Samsung's Project Moohan address this by supplementing power with an external battery. But the connected AI chatbot capabilities in Meta's offerings, though innovative, may not be a replacement for smartphones anytime soon.
In other tech news, Apple's revised iPhone SE is on the horizon, possibly as early as this week. Rumors indicate the iPhone SE 4 will drop the home button, embracing Face ID instead, while keeping the price point around $500. Meanwhile, the iPhone SE 3, already in the market, sold for $430 in 2022. With these developments, it's clear that Apple isn't content to rest on its laurels. The tech giant will continue to innovate and push boundaries, ensuring it stays at the forefront of the tech race.
After the underwhelming response to its AR glasses project, known as N107, Apple is focusing on improving the technology's display screens for future applications. Despite the rocky road with the Vision Pro and high-priced VR headsets not always being a hit, Apple is determined to stay competitive in the AR technology space, following the lead of companies like Meta and Samsung.
