Apple is separating the new smartphones into its usual low-cost versus high-cost categories, with big differences between the two models coming down to the camera, display, and battery life.
macOS Catalina Now Available
Apple Supplier Quanta Computer Teams Up With Lumus to Make Lenses for Augmented Reality Smart Glasses
Apple manufacturing partner Quanta Computer has teamed up with Israeli-based augmented reality company Lumus to manufacture lenses for smart glasses, reports Bloomberg.
Lumus designs displays for AR glasses and will use Quanta for manufacturing purposes. In an interview with Bloomberg, Lumus CEO Ari Grobman said Quanta, which led a $45 million investment in Lumus in 2016, will also be able to produce AR lenses for other tech companies.
Totem headset from VRvana, the virtual reality company Apple recently purchased
The partnership will result in more affordable lenses for wearable augmented reality products, lowering the overall cost for future products. "Quanta has suggested that full AR headsets would be priced for less than the cost of a high-end cell phone. That's a big deal," Grobman told Bloomberg.
It's not clear if Quanta and Lumus are working with Apple on a future augmented reality headset or smart glasses, but it is a possibility as rumors suggest Apple has a wearable augmented reality product in the works.
The latest rumors indicate Apple is developing an AR headset with a dedicated display, a built-in processor, and a reality operating system called "rOS." Apple is still in the prototyping phase and is exploring different input methods like touch panels, voice activation, head gestures, and more, and it is exploring the types of applications where such a product could be used.
Apple has an aggressive timeline for its augmented reality headset and is aiming to finish development by 2019 ahead of a 2020 release, but there could be delays and changes to the product as work continues.
Lumus designs displays for AR glasses and will use Quanta for manufacturing purposes. In an interview with Bloomberg, Lumus CEO Ari Grobman said Quanta, which led a $45 million investment in Lumus in 2016, will also be able to produce AR lenses for other tech companies.
The partnership will result in more affordable lenses for wearable augmented reality products, lowering the overall cost for future products. "Quanta has suggested that full AR headsets would be priced for less than the cost of a high-end cell phone. That's a big deal," Grobman told Bloomberg.
It's not clear if Quanta and Lumus are working with Apple on a future augmented reality headset or smart glasses, but it is a possibility as rumors suggest Apple has a wearable augmented reality product in the works.
The latest rumors indicate Apple is developing an AR headset with a dedicated display, a built-in processor, and a reality operating system called "rOS." Apple is still in the prototyping phase and is exploring different input methods like touch panels, voice activation, head gestures, and more, and it is exploring the types of applications where such a product could be used.
Apple has an aggressive timeline for its augmented reality headset and is aiming to finish development by 2019 ahead of a 2020 release, but there could be delays and changes to the product as work continues.
Related Roundup: Apple Glasses
[ 28 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
24 months ago
Why does the article use a VR headset for the picture? I get that they purchased a VR company, but AR and VR are not the same...
24 months ago
I’m not saying AR doesn’t have potential, because it does. Just like VR.
People incorrectly compare VR and AR and try to shorn horn each together.
I know exactly what VR is. I have an Oculus. There are things that oculus / VR do extremely well, and other things, best left to AR.
Both VR and AR are in their infancy, and have a lot of potential and growth.
Don’t compare 3D glasses to VR. Not the same category. VR is a lot more useful and immersive.
I’m looking forward to both, especially AR Glasses. They will be useful than on AR on a phone.
People incorrectly compare VR and AR and try to shorn horn each together.
I know exactly what VR is. I have an Oculus. There are things that oculus / VR do extremely well, and other things, best left to AR.
Both VR and AR are in their infancy, and have a lot of potential and growth.
Don’t compare 3D glasses to VR. Not the same category. VR is a lot more useful and immersive.
I’m looking forward to both, especially AR Glasses. They will be useful than on AR on a phone.
Actually, Augmented Reality has tremendous potential, I think even more so than VR. Augmented reality has a huge number of potential applications in the industrial world, where melding reality with simulation can help workers perform complex tasks with little training. As an example, in a utility setting, a worker can drive up to a substation that has a control system failure, don a pair of augmented reality glasses which would link to the truck's GPS and cellular network system. The system then senses where the worker is through GPS, then uploads documentation and video to the worker's backpack computer and headset. The worker can then go to the control panel, and without even being fully trained on the repair job, have everything they need at their fingertips -- and eyeballs -- to help them complete the repair quickly and safely. They can even talk remotely to tech support reps through their headset to help them with more complex repairs.
Virtual reality has a tougher future. I'm looking at them like I looked at 3D glasses for TVs. Cool, but not particularly necessary. VR makes what you're looking at seem more real, and provides immersion, but they still can't push past the need for your own body motion to meet up with the visual immersion. Doom VR is a good example. Shooting everything you see is cool when you're in the world, but the running around and pushing on things is still a missing sensation. On top of that, the resolution is still lacking, and the screen-door effect is very noticeable. Until the visuals become crystal clear, even visual immersion leaves one still connected to the real "outside" world.
I'm thinking we'll see a number of VR glasses sitting in the cabinet, gathering dust alongside the old 3D glasses very soon. But AR has a very promising future ahead of it.
24 months ago
I'm a wait and see on the uses for AR/VR
Perhaps too many are for this to ever take off.
24 months ago
Does anyone really want to put this bulky headpiece on?
If nobody can design a very slim device that looks futuristic, then I’m definitely out.
If nobody can design a very slim device that looks futuristic, then I’m definitely out.
[ Read All Comments ]
Apple today announced that it has launched a new version of its Transporter app for developers on the Mac App Store. Transporter, which was previously available as a command-line tool, now lets...
Amazon today has discounted Apple's 2019 MacBook Air in two configurations, with each price representing the lowest price ever for these models. Both sales kicked off today, and it's unclear...
Nearly one year after Feral Interactive announced that "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" would be coming to macOS sometime in 2019, the company today provided a launch date for the game: November...
After launching Macintosh-themed accessories for the Apple Watch and iPhone, Elago this week followed suit with the AW3 AirPods Case.
Similar to the W3 Charging Stand for Apple Watch, the...
Update: As spotted by WCCFTech, Microsoft has now updated all of its Office apps – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook – to support Dark Mode.
Microsoft OneNote received an update...
AMC has announced the launch of a new on-demand video streaming service that's designed to compete with Apple's iTunes Store and Amazon's Prime Video, allowing film fans to rent and buy...
Saturday Night Live alumnus Jason Sudeikis is bringing his "Ted Lasso" character to Apple's streaming service, reviving the role he debuted in 2013 for NBC Sports with its English Premier...
PayPal's Digital Gifts eBay storefront has the latest discount on App Store and iTunes gift cards today, offering the $100 iTunes gift card for $85. This 15 percent off sale matches...
