Apple’s AR glasses won’t launch in 2020, but they just got closer to reality
Apple confirmed its bought NextVR, but the rumored Apple AR glasses reportedly won’t come until 2022
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Applejust took a very real leap in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality, acquiring VR content startup NextVR. It’s also one small step forApple AR glasses.
NextVR should help Apple’s long-suspected efforts to release an AR/VR product, according toBloomberg. The startup held content-licensing deals with sports leagues, including the NBA as well as Fox Sports, and Apple has recently been keen on expanding its content and services portfolio.
While the NextVR didn’t have a VR device of its own, its experience broadcasting content in virtual reality to users could help Apple design its own headsets or glasses, which the company has been rumored to be building for years.
NextVR held content-licensing deals with sports leagues, including the NBA as well as Fox Sports. While the startup didn’t have a VR device of its own, its experience broadcasting content in virtual reality to users could help Apple design its own headsets or glasses, which the company has been rumored to be building for years.
The first of those AR/VR products to be released could be theApple AR glasses, but don’t expect those to launch until at least 2022, according to a separate report citing noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
An optimisticrumorsuggested an Apple AR glasses release date in 2020, though the lasthintwe’d heard back in November suggested an augmented reality headset would come in 2022, followed by proper AR glasses in 2023. But Ming-Chi Kuo’s corroboration lends more weight to a release that’s two years away.
Kuo’s 2022 prediction is based on supply chain information from GIS, which is rumored to have partnered with Apple for AR lens lamination, according to a research noteAppleInsidersaw. Lamination costs for what he reportedly called ‘Apple Glasses’ will probably be high since it takes multiple layers to achieve an ‘innovative MR/AR user experience.’
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AR glasses, now closer to reality
Patents going back to 2015 have indicated Apple’s interest in AR and VR, with rumors suggesting the company is developing head-mounted products for one or both applications.
Reports in the last few years favored AR glasses, though they were mostly sourced from analysts and supply line watchers, which could mean that a product isn’t close enough to consumer release to get leaked. Alternatively, Apple’s characteristic secrecy could just be keeping development under wraps.
What both news points do indicate is that Apple is still investing in AR and VR – and even if it doesn’t result in a product years down the line, its acquisition could bear fruit in other devices, like its perennial improvements to AR applications in its iPhone and iPad lines.
David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He’s most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.
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