“Specs”: Why Apple is now interested in glasses without AR

According to Meta, they are good business: smart glasses or glasses that Facebook parent sells in collaboration with eyeglass maker Ray-Ban. They sold much better than expected, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said in the spring, without giving any specific figures. There has long been speculation that Apple is also interested in the technology – that is, glasses with cameras and AI assistance functions, but without an integrated screen. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reiterated the rumors in his weekly paid newsletter.

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AR glasses for all day wear

According to the information, it can be predicted that the Spectacles created by Apple, which combine AI functions with features similar to AirPods, “may also become popular”. Meta has already announced that it cannot produce Ray-Ban glasses so quickly to meet the demand. According to Gurman, such glasses are a good interim measure for Apple until “real augmented reality glasses” become possible. But Apple’s goal is exactly this: a Vision Pro the size of regular glasses that can be worn all day long.”

Unfortunately, the technology needed for this did not exist yet.” Accordingly, the Vision Pro is a kind of compromise that combines virtual reality with a “provisional version” of AR created using high-resolution screens and cameras. Gurman believes it will be a few years before Apple’s real AR glasses arrive, so smart glasses without AR are another option, they don’t show anything to the user, but they can handle voice commands, record video, and handle calls.

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More experimental ideas

Gurman had already revealed in February that engineers at the company’s labs in Cupertino had discussed the possibility of creating smart glasses. The idea is also to strengthen the wearable sector.

In addition, Apple is also said to be planning to create a tracking ring, as has long been known from other companies (including Samsung) – as a kind of addition to the Apple Watch. However, the projects of the spring season were initially a “technology check”, that is, the initial stage of experiments. The idea of ​​​​equipping the AirPods with a camera also belongs to this group.

(B.Sc.)