Apple has stopped development of a new pair of augmented reality (AR) smart glasses that were expected to work in tandem with its Mac computers, according to a Bloomberg report. The company launched the Apple Vision Pro in the US last year, as its first mixed reality headset, and the AR glasses were expected to be its most ambitious wearable product since the Vision Pro was introduced. However, it looks like the Vision Pro is likely to remain the company’s only AR/VR hardware device for the foreseeable future.
Citing unnamed sources aware of the company’s plans, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple was looking to introduce a product that resembled a pair of glasses, equipped with advanced displays. The wearable bore the codename N107, and it was designed to work with the company’s Mac computers, and was in development when the project was cancelled.
The Apple Vision Pro, which was launched in the US last year, is the company’s first spatial computer and offers support for both AR and virtual reality (VR) content. The new device was supposed to be much easier to use than the Vision Pro, which is quite unwieldy and costs $3,499 (roughly Rs. 3 lakh) in the US.
Unlike the Vision Pro, which relies on its own processor, the AR glasses from Apple were expected to work with a Mac computer, after Apple couldn’t make the product work with an iPhone due to CPU and battery limitations, according to the report. It was also designed to be much lighter than the Vision Pro, which has a strap to keep the device around the wearer’s head.
Apple is still expected to launch other versions of the Vision Pro, but it is currently unclear whether it will launch a pair of AR glasses in the coming years. Two social media firms — Snap and Meta — have already showcased prototypes of AR glasses that could change the way people interact with their surroundings.
While Snap has yet to announce when it might launch its AR glasses, Meta’s product (with the codename Orion) could arrive as early as 2027, a year after Apple is expected to launch the successor to the first-generation Vision Pro model. Just like other Apple products, we aren’t likely to learn any details from the company on future plans for AR glasses until the company has a product that is ready to be unveiled.