'Apple Glass' details leaked, will cost $499 and work with prescriptions

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited May 2020
A prolific leaker has detailed Apple's forthcoming augmented reality glasses, and says that Apple will call them "Apple Glass"




Prolific leaker Jon Prosser has released a video discussing Apple's long-rumored augmented reality smart glasses. In it, he predicts that all data processing is said to happen on a wirelessly connected iPhone, similar to how the Apple Watch communicates.

The "Apple Glass" is expected to retail for $499, but a prescription cost would increase the total cost to the user -- and sunglasses may not be available at launch. A prototype that Prosser says that he's seen has plastic frames, but metal may be used later.






LiDAR is integrated on the right-hand side of the frames, but there are no other cameras in the prototype. The "Apple Glass" also reportedly comes with a plastic stand for wireless charging.

The user interface is called "Starboard" according to Prosser. Information is displayed on both lenses, and the user interface can be controlled both on, and in front of the device with user gestures.

Prosser also believes that the devices can scan proprietary QR codes. It isn't clear if the QR codes in question are the ones spotted in the internal build of iOS 14 that was revealed on Monday.

Prosser believes that it is planned as a "one more thing"-style announcement. A release date was originally planned for the fourth quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021 -- but the coronavirus pandemic may impact that.

As with the original Apple Watch reveal, the device is expected to debut much earlier than it is available to consumers, with a release many months later.





While Prosser is relatively new to the Apple leaks scene, he has a long and established track record when it comes to other vendors. Additionally, as of late, he has predicted not just codenames, but detailed specs and release dates for unannounced Apple products with complete accuracy.

Rumors of Apple's smart glasses have existed for quite a few years, alongside suggestions it was also developing an AR and VR headset. Analysts and other speculation have pointed to the release of smart glasses as soon as 2020, though some reports propose later dates in 2021 and 2022.

Apple is believed to have told its engineers it plans for a launch by 2022.

Unlike technologies like Google Glass, which simply offered a basic interface within the user's vision, Apple's smart glasses are generally thought to incorporate augmented reality, providing elements of an interface and other graphics as an overlay of the user's real-world view. In theory this provides users with information about physical objects and locations they can see, or offering an alternate appearance for the same viewpoint.

The glasses are highly likely to take advantage of the existing ARKit framework, as well as borrowing technologies at use elsewhere, such as 3D sensors similar to the 2020 iPad Pro's LiDAR system.

Apple has also filed numerous patents over the years that strongly suggest the glasses are still under development, and that it will use AR in some way.

It is also generally considered the glasses will take advantage of a nearby device to use as a host for processing, rendering, and data connections, rather than perform it onboard. The most obvious form of this would be attaching the eyewear to an iPhone, with some patents even suggesting mounting the iPhone within the glasses and placing the assembly directly in front of the user's eyes.

More practically, there has been the suggestion of using holographic elements to overlay the AR image, while mounting the main hardware away from the front of the face.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 95
    h4y3sh4y3s Posts: 82member
    Woo Hoo! I’ll be first in line. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 95
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    I'dd be surprised if they go with "Glass" given the Google experience.
    pulseimagescornchiprandominternetpersonpscooter63kitatitbadmonkwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 95
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,087member
    Sounds pretty great
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 95
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    I can’t imagine a use for this. I wish they would leak that info. 
    lkruppkkqd1337
  • Reply 5 of 95
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    They sound very cool. However I'll wait. First gen of anything, even Apple products is where the bugs and shortcomings show up. 
    pulseimagesjeffharrisseanj
  • Reply 6 of 95
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    jd_in_sb said:
    I can’t imagine a use for this. I wish they would leak that info. 
    The same thing was said in these very forums during the rumor seasons leading to the original iPhone, for the iPad, and for the Apple Watch.

    We'll see how it goes together.
    mike1pulseimagesright_said_fredDAalsethbageljoeyJinTechj2fusioncornchipcanukstormgregoriusm
  • Reply 7 of 95
    Most of this was already known,. The only thing new is the price and maybe the design.
    Apart from that, most of this was already known.

    Shame, I was really expecting new stuff here.
  • Reply 8 of 95
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Most of this was already known,. The only thing new is the price and maybe the design.
    Apart from that, most of this was already known.

    Shame, I was really expecting new stuff here.
    Absolutely none of it was, or is, "known".
    mike1cornchipchasmgregoriusmpscooter63jony0StrangeDayslolliverspock1234
  • Reply 9 of 95
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,622member
    jd_in_sb said:
    I can’t imagine a use for this. I wish they would leak that info. 
    Lots of uses for just about any situation. The key is comfort, cost and content (the eyewear needs to have data available to overlay on the scene).

    The prototype leak reminds me of Eddie Hitler! 
    anome
  • Reply 10 of 95
    With LiDAR, I can see a new way to cheat for Major League Baseball. Have it track the ball and let the batter know where the ball will be when gets to the plate and when to swing. That would be a great training tool as well....
    cornchipspock1234watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 95
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member
    crowley said:
    I'dd be surprised if they go with "Glass" given the Google experience.
    The problem with Google Glass was not the name (I always thought it was a cool name) but with the implementation. It was physically obtrusive (You couldn’t walk in to a room wearing Google Glass without making a scene) and worse, potentially intrusive (everybody knew you had a camera out and nobody knew if you were recording).

    This rumor solves both issues—it may appear like a regular pair of glasses and it doesn’t contain a camera. 
    That certainly Would increase the chance I would purchase!
    cornchiptmaygregoriusmlolliverspock1234tobianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 95
    Phobos7Phobos7 Posts: 63member
    Finally after so much bother, I’ll believe it when it happens. I’m in.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 95
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,332member
    There’s more than prediction going on here. Apple obviously has an employee or trusted contractor feeding this guy internal, confidential company information. I’m surprised Apple hasn’t hired someone with legitimate experience in counter espionage to trap their internal mole and shutdown the source of the leaks. 

    As far as the AR glasses are concerned, I’ll take a wait and see approach. I’m not sure whether these would be more or less distracting than the huge dash mounted infotainment systems a lot of auto manufacturers are deploying today, you know, the ones that look like someone bolted an iPad to the dashboard of the car.

    I’m also wondering whether these will work for people who’ve had cataract surgery and monofocal lens implants.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 95
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,020member
    With LiDAR, I can see a new way to cheat for Major League Baseball. Have it track the ball and let the batter know where the ball will be when gets to the plate and when to swing. That would be a great training tool as well....
    Players would likely not be able to wear them during game play.
    cornchip
  • Reply 15 of 95
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,020member
    Oh boy, I can just hear it now. If people who wore Google Glass were called Glassholes, they are going to start calling us Aholes  :o  :D
    cornchipRayz2016pscooter63badmonkwatto_cobrarossb2
  • Reply 16 of 95
    wattoukwattouk Posts: 50member
    I’m excited for this product, it would be handy with directions and other things.

    Surely the only thing they can name it is iSight???
    chasmrazorpitspock1234cyberzombiebeowulfschmidtwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 95
    iGlasses. You’re welcome. I take checks.
    mailmeoffershcrefugeelogic2.6cgWerkswatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 95
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    dewme said:
    There’s more than prediction going on here. Apple obviously has an employee or trusted contractor feeding this guy internal, confidential company information. I’m surprised Apple hasn’t hired someone with legitimate experience in counter espionage to trap their internal mole and shutdown the source of the leaks.
    What makes you believe it's not an Apple-sanctioned leak? They've done so before via trusted bloggers/journalists. Considering the odd times we're in where it's difficult to build excitement over anything other than a vaccine I would not be surprised at all that this is one of those "leaks" from some Apple PR person. Reminders that Apple is still inventing, and new products are coming. 
    edited May 2020 cornchipgregoriusmjony0razorpitblurpbleepbloopcyberzombie
  • Reply 19 of 95
    Most of this was already known,. The only thing new is the price and maybe the design.
    Apart from that, most of this was already known.

    Shame, I was really expecting new stuff here.
    So you “knew” they would be able to take prescription lenses, that they would have lidar but not a camera?
    cornchiplolliverspock1234bageljoeycyberzombiewatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 95
    gatorguy said:
    dewme said:
    There’s more than prediction going on here. Apple obviously has an employee or trusted contractor feeding this guy internal, confidential company information. I’m surprised Apple hasn’t hired someone with legitimate experience in counter espionage to trap their internal mole and shutdown the source of the leaks.
    What makes you believe it's not an Apple-sanctioned leak? They've done so before via trusted bloggers/journalists. Considering the odd times we're in where it's difficult to build excitement over anything other than a vaccine I would not be surprised at all that this is one of those "leaks" from some Apple PR person. Reminders that Apple is still inventing, and new products are coming. 
    What makes me believe it is that the leak (if true) drains 90% of the wind out of the sails of a future event. Apple is doing great right now and doesn’t need publicity month before they announce a product that won’t be available at launch. I expect that Apple execs hate when “one more thing” is perceived as anticlimactic. 
    tmaycornchippscooter63StrangeDayslolliverspock1234watto_cobra
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