Apple Glasses Prototype Reportedly Falls Behind 2021 Testing Schedule

Apple has yet to start testing the second prototype of its rumored AR glasses, bucking the expectations of its supply partners who expected testing to commence in the first quarter of this year, according to a new report.

arglassesyay
Apple is known to be working on a set of augmented reality glasses that look like regular glasses, but which feature lenses with built-in displays that can be interacted with using gestures. The current prototype is said to resemble high-end sunglasses with thick frames that house the battery and chips.

According to a DigiTimes report from January, Apple was about to enter the second phase of development of the glasses, with a focus on improving the device's weight and battery life, suggesting they could move into volume production as early as the first quarter of 2022.

However, a new report from the Taiwanese publication claims that P2 testing has yet to begin, therefore the chance of volume production in Q1 2022 is now unlikely.

The sources pointed out that after P2, the AR glasses prototype may still need to go through P3 testing, followed by another 2-3 phases of engineering testing before standing a chance of entering volume production.

The supply chain originally estimated that the Apple wearable could start volume production as early as first-quarter 2022, the sources said. But as the P2 testing has yet to begin, the chance of volume production in first-quarter 2022 is looking unlikely, the sources added.

A Bloomberg report in January described the glasses as "several years away," though Apple had initially been planning to release them as early as 2023. A previous report from ‌DigiTimes‌ suggested Apple's AR glasses would launch in 2021, while Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said he expects a 2022 launch at the earliest.

Apple is believed to be working on multiple AR/VR projects, including a headset with an App Store. In an internal meeting, Apple reportedly said the headset may be announced in 2021 and released in 2022, so it sounds like the headset will launch before the glasses. According to today's ‌DigiTimes‌ report, Samsung is still on track to launch a pair of rival AR glasses next year.

Related Roundup: AR/VR Headset

Top Rated Comments

farewelwilliams Avatar
25 months ago
if only they could have...

seen that coming.

YYYYEAAAHHHHHHHHHH

but seriously, screw digitimes. this rumor is a sleeper.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dwaltwhit Avatar
25 months ago

Be nice if they found a way to stop glasses steaming up when wearing a mask...
By the time these are released, masks will likely be a thing of the past
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DarkCole Avatar
25 months ago
It’s unfortunate the timeline for these are still a ways out. AR glasses are the one thing I’m truly excited for from Apple.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LonderJan Avatar
25 months ago
I doubt this product (with the intention of volume production) even exists.

So far, nobody has succeeded in addressing the issues that prevent it from appealing to a broader audience which is their (Apple) target.

I don't see people who are not wearing glasses start wearing them anytime soon unless this offers life changing advantages. Being able to take a picture with is or having it show the number of unread messages will not move a broad audience suddenly from not wearing glasses to wearing glasses.

The audience that does seem the most likely to be considering something like this are those people who are already wearing glasses. So, this product would need to work with any type of prescription glasses out there without making them heavier. These would need to come in different materials, colours, shapes and sizes and most importantly, they should look like plain glasses.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
billk711 Avatar
25 months ago
that cleared up absolutely nothing,
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marbles1 Avatar
25 months ago
Be nice if they found a way to stop glasses steaming up when wearing a mask...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
iOS 16

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to Developers [Update: Public RC Available]

Tuesday March 21, 2023 10:25 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future. Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates...
google bard

Google Opens Up Access to Bard AI Chatbot

Tuesday March 21, 2023 4:23 pm PDT by
Google today began allowing users to sign up to use Bard, its AI-powered chatbot that rivals Microsoft's Bing chatbot. First announced back in February, Bard is an experimental conversational AI service for Google Search. Those interested in Bard can join Google's waitlist to get access, and some users have reported getting invitation emails just hours after signing up. There are a long list ...
smart monitor m8 samsung

Deals: Samsung's iMac-Like Smart Monitor M8 Drops to Lowest Price of Year So Far With $250 Discount

Monday March 20, 2023 8:27 am PDT by
Samsung today kicked off a special "Discover Samsung" event, which will be a week-long savings event focusing on Samsung monitors, smartphones, TVs, appliances, and more. While some deals will stick around the entire week (through March 26), others will refresh every day. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...