Apple's AR Glasses "Now Appear Many Years Away": Report

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman Apple has put the development of a pair of portable augmented reality (AR) glasses on hold because of technological difficulties. The company's "goal of producing a lightweight pair of AR glasses that consumers could wear all day now appears several years away — if it happens at all," according to Gurman, went so far as to declare. The tech giant is still hoping to ship its pricey mixed-reality headset this year, but it's evident that the development of cheaper, physically lighter AR glasses is having significant difficulties. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Photo Credit: YouTube[/caption] It is believed that Apple originally intended to introduce the AR specifications this year but later postponed it until 2025. But at this point, it seems like the entire project is in jeopardy. The tech giant may view AR glasses as a potential alternative to the iPhone, shifting phone functionality to a display built into cutting-edge eyewear. A certain amount of popularity has been attained for virtual reality (VR) headsets, which submerge the user in a virtual environment, in part because of Meta's Quest and the predecessor Oculus devices. However, the development of AR glasses, which superimpose digital information over actual sights, has proven more difficult. For instance, Google spent a lot of time and money attempting to get its Google Glass specs on the market but ultimately scaled back the project. One of the difficulties is trying to cram so much technology, including a strong battery, into a product that is meant to resemble a typical pair of spectacles. According to Gurman's story, Apple is still aiming to release a less expensive mixed-reality headset in 2024 that may go by the name Reality One. The premium model, which may be dubbed Reality Pro, is anticipated to go on sale this year for about $3,000. This would be a follow-up to that model. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1136"] Photo Credit: Business Insider[/caption] The Bloomberg reporter added that Apple still has some teams "exploring technologies that would go into standalone glasses, should they finally emerge," but that the majority of its 1,000+ person unit dedicated to AR and VR is "focused on the first two mixed-reality headsets."