Apple AR headset may launch in 2022 with smart glasses to follow

Published , by TJ Denzer

Augmented Reality (AR) continues to be one of the more interesting fronts of technology as companies aim to create practical and comfortable environment that overlays pc systems over real-world view. Apple has been active in its efforts to develop AR and VR tech, and now Apple management is saying that Apple AR may come to fruition as early as 2022.

In a report on The Information posted on November 11, 2019, Apple reportedly revealed in an internal meeting that it would be eyeing launch of both an AR headset and a pair of glasses with AR capabilities in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The report pushes dates back a couple years from previous Apple analyst speculation that Apple AR could hit the market en masse as early as 2019 or 2020. Regardless, it seems Apple laid out this timetable fully in a meeting of 1000 employees, as well as new details and features regarding its AR projects.

Apple's initial AR offering is expected to be similar in size to the Oculus Quest, which wouldn't quite be practical for all-day use, but a set of glasses with the same capabilities is said to be coming soon after.

According to The Information, Apple’s initial AR headset is expected to be similar in size to Facebook’s Oculus Quest. While that would make it less than practical for everyday use of AR, this headset also wouldn’t require use of a PC to operate normally. The headset is also said to use camera technology available on various current (2019) Apple phones and products to create its AR environment.

In the following year, Apple is expecting to release a reduced size model of its AR technology, which should be the same size of a normal pair of glasses. Codenamed “N421,” these pair of glasses are expected to deliver the same capabilities of Apple’s full-size AR headset, but in a format which allows for all-day use and comfort.

It’s ambitious to say the least, but the 2-year minimum delay on its expected efforts also means Apple needs quite a bit more time than expected to make these products a reality. Even so, the much more open sharing of information on the matter could also mean Apple is feeling confident in its expected timeline on new AR technology. Let’s just hope it doesn’t run into serious unforeseen issues like the Apple Card.