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Kuo: Apple's AR Glasses to Launch in 2020 as iPhone Accessory
Apple's first rumored head-mounted augmented reality device could be ready by the middle of next year, according to a new report out today from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Economic Daily News [Google Translate]).
A fanciful mockup of digital glasses via TechAcute
According to Kuo, Apple's AR glasses will be marketed as an iPhone accessory and primarily take a display role while wirelessly offloading computing, networking, and positioning to the iPhone.
Designing the AR glasses to work as an iPhone accessory is also expected to allow Apple to keep the glasses slim and lightweight, rather than trying to pack in all the processing hardware into the one device.
Kuo believes Apple is aiming to begin mass-producing the glasses as early as the fourth quarter of this year, although he admits the timeframe could be pushed back to the second quarter of 2020.
Back in November 2017, Bloomberg reported that Apple was developing an AR headset and aimed to have it ready by 2019, although the company could ship a product in 2020. The report said the headset would run on a new custom operating system, based on iOS, and dubbed "rOS" for "reality operating system."
Apple has been exploring virtual reality and augmented reality technologies for more than 10 years based on patent filings. The company is also rumored to have a secret research unit comprising hundreds of employees working on AR and VR, exploring ways the emerging technologies could be used in future Apple products.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has talked up the prospect of augmented reality several times, saying he views AR as "profound" because the technology "amplifies human performance instead of isolating humans."
According to Kuo, Apple's AR glasses will be marketed as an iPhone accessory and primarily take a display role while wirelessly offloading computing, networking, and positioning to the iPhone.
Designing the AR glasses to work as an iPhone accessory is also expected to allow Apple to keep the glasses slim and lightweight, rather than trying to pack in all the processing hardware into the one device.
Kuo believes Apple is aiming to begin mass-producing the glasses as early as the fourth quarter of this year, although he admits the timeframe could be pushed back to the second quarter of 2020.
Back in November 2017, Bloomberg reported that Apple was developing an AR headset and aimed to have it ready by 2019, although the company could ship a product in 2020. The report said the headset would run on a new custom operating system, based on iOS, and dubbed "rOS" for "reality operating system."
Apple has been exploring virtual reality and augmented reality technologies for more than 10 years based on patent filings. The company is also rumored to have a secret research unit comprising hundreds of employees working on AR and VR, exploring ways the emerging technologies could be used in future Apple products.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has talked up the prospect of augmented reality several times, saying he views AR as "profound" because the technology "amplifies human performance instead of isolating humans."
Related Roundup: Apple Glasses
Tag: Ming-Chi Kuo
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11 weeks ago
Apple CEO Tim Cook has talked up the prospect of augmented reality several times, saying he views AR as "profound ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/02/tim-cook-on-augmented-reality/')" because the technology "amplifies human performance instead of isolating humans."
Go to the coffee shop of your choice and look around: two people - presumably friends - at the same table, earbuds in and on their phones. Or a restaurant - parents on their phones and kids with an iPad. Don’t see how tech has done anything BUT isolate humans.
11 weeks ago
It's going to be a huge ask to get the general public to wear anything even vaguely resembling the mock up. Cameras on glasses like this is just going to make people behave really weirdly (understandably) around people wearing them. That's assuming they are something that even looks good in the first place.
It will be interesting to see what Apple does with this really really hard design challenge.
It will be interesting to see what Apple does with this really really hard design challenge.
11 weeks ago
It's going to be a huge ask to get the general public to wear anything even vaguely resembling the mock up. Cameras on glasses like this is just going to make people behave really weirdly (understandably) around people wearing them. That's assuming they are something that even looks good in the first place.
It will be interesting to see what Apple does with this really really hard design challenge.
Calling it now. Because nobody has any vision, everyone under the sun is going to already call it a stupid product before it’s even announced. Then it’ll debut and people will love it, while it’ll have its haters as well saying it’s stupid and pointless. “Who is seriously gonna wear glasses all the time?”
Then it’ll get popular and really refined and everybody else’s will copy them and we will get to a point a few years from now where we can’t believe we never had ar.
Sci fi movies imagine this for years. Holographic displays and graphics and being able to manipulate objects. And we all think it’s the coolest thing ever. Think minority report. Think iron man. Think tron. Think about not even needing a tv in your house because you can put a giant display and pin it to your wall in your glasses. Think about how interactive the environment can be. Meeting people and seeing information floating over their heads about who they are and how you know them. Or shared experiences with multiple glasses.
This could be a game changer the world over if it’s played right. But all anyone can say is “who’s gonna wear glasses all the time?”
11 weeks ago
When someone finally does this right, we could be looking at a tech shift as big as the iPhone/smartphone.
11 weeks ago
Sceptical. How can the tech be there?
Look what MS released? hololense 2. not very impressive, and the price tag. jesus
And also Magic Leap, not very impressive at all.
How can Apple possible create something that is ready for mainstream 2020? Also, carmack said AR is 3 - 5 years behind VR in regard of pure tech. VR is not ready for mainstream yet, and the displey tech etc etc with screen door is not very impressive. Not sure how apple can pull this off?
Also, what happend to: Its not about being first, its about being best?
How??? How, you ask?
That's the Apple for you, they seem clueless and absent, and then they pop out of nowhere and show the competition how it should be done.
And then... everyone returns to their drawing boards.
11 weeks ago
I have my doubts that normal people will be willing to wear it on their face unless it looks exactly like a normal pair of spectacles or sunglasses.
(2015)
I wonder who's gonna wear that thing on their wrists, it looks ugly...
11 weeks ago
Sceptical. How can the tech be there?
Look what MS released? hololense 2. not very impressive, and the price tag. jesus
And also Magic Leap, not very impressive at all.
How can Apple possible create something that is ready for mainstream 2020? Also, carmack said AR is 3 - 5 years behind VR in regard of pure tech. VR is not ready for mainstream yet, and the displey tech etc etc with screen door is not very impressive. Not sure how apple can pull this off?
Also, what happend to: Its not about being first, its about being best?
Look what MS released? hololense 2. not very impressive, and the price tag. jesus
And also Magic Leap, not very impressive at all.
How can Apple possible create something that is ready for mainstream 2020? Also, carmack said AR is 3 - 5 years behind VR in regard of pure tech. VR is not ready for mainstream yet, and the displey tech etc etc with screen door is not very impressive. Not sure how apple can pull this off?
Also, what happend to: Its not about being first, its about being best?
11 weeks ago
I have my doubts that normal people will be willing to wear it on their face unless it looks exactly like a normal pair of spectacles or sunglasses.
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