Apple is developing smart glasses that would integrate AirPods and Apple Intelligence, claims a new report. The upcoming Apple product would be lighter than the Apple Vision Pro, presumably to compete with the Meta Quest 3.
Is Apple developing smart glasses to succeed the Vision Pro?
The Apple Vision Pro is one of the most expensive Mixed Reality headsets on the market. As Apple insists, it is a “spatial computer”. The company also asks $3,499 for the headset.
The Apple Vision Pro is a fully integrated product. It is a miniature computer that’s powered by a dedicated external battery. This makes the device bulky and expensive.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is aware that it needs to “rethink its approach to headsets”. However, he speculates the company is currently unsure and hasn’t decided on its exact approach.
In his ‘Power On’ newsletter, Gurman suggested Apple could be developing smart glasses. These glasses would reportedly be extensively lighter, and presumably cheaper, than the Apple Vision Pro.
Incidentally, Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously indicated the company is moving towards smart glasses. However, he admitted the technology is too elusive at this time.
Lighter smart glasses will integrate AirPods and Apple Intelligence
Meta recently surprised the tech world with an aggressively priced Meta Quest 3S and the Orion Augmented Reality headset with a holographic display. Simply put, the company seems to have surged ahead in the VR world.
Apple could be developing something similar. However, the company might not embed batteries, sensors, smart display tech, and cameras, into glasses. Gurman suggests a new pair of AirPods would be a critical component for the Apple smart glasses.
The new AirPods would feature cameras. When paired with smart glasses, they would deliver visual and audio information about the outside world to the wearer.
Needless to say, Apple Intelligence, could play an important role in processing the data and delivering information. But to make the smart glasses lighter, Apple could try and outsource the processing to the iPhone. Some reports suggest that this approach would turn the smart glasses into an iPhone accessory.
