Apple expected to launch AR Glasses in early 2020

Posted:
in General Discussion edited June 2020
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple is to begin production of its Augmented Reality headset before the end of this year, and launch it in the second quarter of 2020.

Apple Park AR
We'll finally be able to put down our iPads.


A new report seen by AppleInsider from generally well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple is shortly to begin mass producing its AR Glasses, or Augmented Reality headset. The devices are said to commence manufacturing before the end of 2019, and Kuo says that they will be launched in the second calendar quarter of 2020.

Kuo believes that Apple will also then partner with unnamed third-party firms to produce what he refers to as AR helmets during 2020.

Kuo believes that the AR glasses will act as an iPhone accessory in the way the original Apple Watch did. That would mean the iPhone providing much of the processing power, and allowing the glasses to avoid cumbersome circuitry.

Apple has been working on augmented reality hardware, including the glasses, for several years, and it's now possible to see them fitting in with the company's broad health ambitions.

Previously, Kuo has reported that 2020 will also see an "iPhone SE 2" style device. Along with other sources reporting that the main 2020 iPhone range will include 5G, Kuo has claimed that their new redesign will be reminiscent of the iPhone 4.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 39
    Pass
  • Reply 2 of 39
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    A motorcycle helmet with a heads up display please.  
    oseameravnorodomwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 39
    A motorcycle helmet with a heads up display please.  
    That would be awesome. Existing bluetooth systems are a bit clunky and I don't like having the controls protruding on the side, it doesn't feel safe. But I just can't see an 'Apple Helmet' being released… it seems a bit niche.
    edited October 2019 bonobobwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 39
    A motorcycle helmet with a heads up display please.  
    Too niche for Apple in my opinion.  But something like this is not beyond reason.  Jarvish X AR Smart Helmet.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id4JBMb9W0E
    edited October 2019
  • Reply 5 of 39
    chaickachaicka Posts: 257member
    Wonder how the much-silent U1 chip contributes towards this AR gear(s)... :smile: 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 39
    chaickachaicka Posts: 257member

    A motorcycle helmet with a heads up display please.  
    Most likely a collaborative effort...something like Nike+Apple (looking at historically how their collaborative efforts started).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 39
    bring it

    anyone who doubts what AR is going to do simply doesn’t understand it well enough.

    apple had everything in place, the 11 series with reality composer presents content silky smooth.

    does it have a long way to go, yes it does. this is going to be a bit apple newton compared to an ipad pro but without that newton...
    GeorgeBMacStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 39
    Wonder if the upcoming low-cost-but-still-powerful iPhone is part of a strategy to increase the population of Apple owners with a phone powerful enough to handle the processing needed by the glasses.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 39
    I'll happily eat my hat on this one. But I don't think we're going to see Apple Frames in the way that Kuo imagines. I.E. Snap Inc one-size-fits-all frames. I have very little confidence in Kuo's reports and sourcing, the reports only bear accuracy on the most obvious of predictions.

    With that said, I think AR has a bright future. If designed as spectacles, any entry into the eyewear market is going to need a wide range of frame shapes to suit face shapes and tastes. Apple certainly knows this, the Apple Watch has just one shape, yet contains numerous finishes and bands and that's just for the wrist, not something as personally important as the face. Although part of me still doubts that Apple would want to restrict a product this way, there is a reason why clear-lens refractive surgery, LASIK and contact lenses are so popular.


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 39
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Another “report” from Kuo that I have zero confidence in.
    rezwitswatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 39
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    bring it

    anyone who doubts what AR is going to do simply doesn’t understand it well enough.

    apple had everything in place, the 11 series with reality composer presents content silky smooth.

    does it have a long way to go, yes it does. this is going to be a bit apple newton compared to an ipad pro but without that newton...
    Combine something like this with 5G interconnected devices and you got something big.   Very Big.

    AI, AR, interconnected devices are the future.  They won't operate independently but symbiotically.   Our modern technology will, in the coming years and decades, begin to look like flip phones, radio and fax machines.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 39
    DisperDisper Posts: 10member

    It would be an impressive accomplishment if Apple could get wide adoption of AR glasses.

    They did it with iPod - wide use.
    They did it with iPhone - seemingly from out of nowhere.
    They did it with iPad - some critics claimed it would be a dud.
    They did it with Apple Watch - some critics claimed it would flop.
    AppleTv - moderate adoption.
    However to me they were successful designs - i have four of them (minus iPod).

    AR glasses would be another new class of device for them.

    These type of cultural tech changes can occur because of the increase in chip performance - also often driven by Apple.
    We are now near the envelop where this type of mobile AR tech is possible - as can be seen in Oculus Quest for example - a stand alone full function vr device.
    How Apple could make AR into something that people would want to use daily or even weekly would be interesting.

    Alot of people wear glasses, so if it can be unobtrusive enough to replace their glasses that might be a piece of that market there.
    People wear sunglasses - again maybe some market.

    If they can use some kind of tech that made the glasses as comfortable/light as RayBan frames - but something bulky i don't see as much.
    If they can make the tech turn off if not wanted, and can change the opacity from clear to dark as needed (maybe transparent oled) it might make sense.
    Maybe it could end up doing some of what the watch does, sensors, time, appointments, maps overlay, etc.

    So if it can be modular with changeable frames (as EsquireCats mentioned already) and usable as regular glasses/sunglasses that could be an option why i could see owning one.


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 39
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Disper said:

    So if it can be modular with changeable frames (as EsquireCats mentioned already) and usable as regular glasses/sunglasses that could be an option why i could see owning one.
    ...change the opacity from clear to dark as needed (maybe transparent oled) it might make sense.



    Warby Parker was all in doing this as a partner with an earlier "smartglasses" design a few years ago and would probably still be interested. As far as lightening/darkening that's easy. I have several pairs of cheap $17 glasses that do that: Photochromic lenses.

    Doing time, sensors, maps overlay, etc, that was done years ago too. The earlier product failed for only one reason: Fear of the embedded camera driven by media articles (if not "others").
    If that fear has diminished over the last 6 years then now might be better timing for such a product in the marketplace. 
    edited October 2019
  • Reply 14 of 39
    Would be interesting if these glasses could read the environment with Time of flight or the Kinnect-technology and describe it using audio like with voice over on iPhone for blind people. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 39
    DisperDisper Posts: 10member
    gatorguy said:
    Disper said:

    So if it can be modular with changeable frames (as EsquireCats mentioned already) and usable as regular glasses/sunglasses that could be an option why i could see owning one.
    ...change the opacity from clear to dark as needed (maybe transparent oled) it might make sense.



    Warby Parker was all in doing this as a partner with an earlier "smartglasses" design a few years ago and would probably still be interested. As far as lightening/darkening that's easy. I have several pairs of cheap $17 glasses that do that: Photochromic lenses.

    Doing time, sensors, maps overlay, etc, that was done years ago too. The earlier product failed for only one reason: Fear of the embedded camera driven by media (if not "others").
    If that fear has diminished over the last 6 years then now might be better timing for such a product in the marketplace. 
    It would be nice if dark or light could also be adjusted manually - like electronically - including the option to turn darkening off completely so it was only clear.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 39
    pigybankpigybank Posts: 178member
    I doubt it.  I also think AR / VR are going nowhere. 
  • Reply 17 of 39
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Disper said:
    gatorguy said:
    Disper said:

    So if it can be modular with changeable frames (as EsquireCats mentioned already) and usable as regular glasses/sunglasses that could be an option why i could see owning one.
    ...change the opacity from clear to dark as needed (maybe transparent oled) it might make sense.



    Warby Parker was all in doing this as a partner with an earlier "smartglasses" design a few years ago and would probably still be interested. As far as lightening/darkening that's easy. I have several pairs of cheap $17 glasses that do that: Photochromic lenses.

    Doing time, sensors, maps overlay, etc, that was done years ago too. The earlier product failed for only one reason: Fear of the embedded camera driven by media (if not "others").
    If that fear has diminished over the last 6 years then now might be better timing for such a product in the marketplace. 
    It would be nice if dark or light could also be adjusted manually - like electronically - including the option to turn darkening off completely so it was only clear.
    For a fee I'm sure it can be. Maybe an additional $200-$300 retail would cover it?
    edited October 2019
  • Reply 18 of 39
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    Why is helmet necessary if the processing is offloaded to iPhone? I can imagine wearing VR glasses but helmet? I don't see the point of it.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 39
    HyperealityHypereality Posts: 58unconfirmed, member
    The helmet sounds like a strange concept for Apple. But here's a speculation for the fun of it. 

    iOS 13 betas have exposed that Apple have two AR headsets in the lab, perhaps one is the glasses and one is the helmet.
     
    The glasses probably have a relatively low data bandwidth to the master phone.  Also imagine all the fashion constraints described above, there will be limited frame designs, probably one with 2-3 sizes. 

    The functionality of the glasses will be to support things such as navigation, information etc. like a Google Glass done better,  but with far better AR sensing, ranging etc.  Information rich but not media rich applications are possible with the relatively low data rate transmission between a phone and the glasses.  Limited mixed-reality capabilities may be possible at the initial launch, but a focus on practical applications with a little fun tossed in, perhaps a spin on those Animoji's.

    Full-on AR and MR (mixed reality) with lightweight glasses communicating with a phone would need a very powerful high bandwidth communication channel, maybe that will come later. 

    The helmet would not use a phone as its co-processor, it would actually be a fully specced device in there. The functionality of the helmet would be entertainment, though it could have niche practical applications.  With the helmet full 3D mixed reality applications would be possible, imagine Microsoft Hololens but with an Arcade and Apple TV subscription. It would provide a new paradigm in entertainment and should be thought of as a wearable Playstation rather than an AR headset.  It could have both Wifi and 5G connectivity.
     


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 39
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    What's wrong with "real" reality? 
    mobird
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