Following the initial success of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Apple appears to be considering developing similar wearables.
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According to Mark Gurman, Apple is considering developing new wearables: smart rings and smart glasses. While the former is just an idea, smart glasses are said to be in an exploratory stage that Apple’s hardware division calls “technical research.”
Garman said Apple is considering developing glasses similar to Meta and Amazon’s smart glasses. The wearable could serve as an AirPods replacement, offer AI capabilities, and even serve as a stepping stone to full-fledged AR glasses.
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Is Apple under pressure from the meta?
In October, Meta launched the second generation of its smart glasses. Ray Ban Meta had to increase production because demand for his smart glasses was higher than expected. This success may have encouraged Apple to follow Meta’s lead. Amazon offers a similar product with Echo Frames.
In early 2023, Mark Garman reported that Apple had indefinitely postponed the launch of full-fledged AR glasses and scaled back work on them, citing “technical challenges.” Garman’s new report may signal the beginning of a resurgence of such efforts.
According to a leaked hardware roadmap, Meta plans to launch the third generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in 2025, which will feature a viewfinder display for the first time. Meta could unveil full-fledged AR glasses as early as this year, but they won’t be sold to consumers due to high production costs. According to the leaked roadmap, the first commercial version of AR glasses is scheduled for his 2027 year.
Meta’s efforts will likely put pressure on Apple to launch a comparable product.
