People have been speculating on how Apple is likely to respond ever since Google launched its Google Glass.
It has now been reported that Apple might have its version of an AR headset ready at some point next year. Mark Gurman reported for Bloomberg Businessweek recently that Apple’s AR glasses will be launched alongside its first 5G-enabled smartphone next year.
Initially, the glasses could serve as an iPhone accessory. It will pair with your iPhone and place data such as maps and text on the screen in front of you.
If it is also able to deliver games, then it will be one step ahead of glasses such as Amazon Echo Frames and Snapchat Spectacles 2, both of which have to do without any displays. It will also beat the minimalist display of Google Glass.
Apple’s AR glasses could eventually necessitate their own version of the App Store, because many iPhone apps might not work well with a display that’s worn on an individual’s face.
Gurman believes that such AR glasses could eventually morph into a standalone alternative to the iPhone.
Before that can happen though, Apple will have to convince people about their usefulness. Rumours about the company’s planned AR glasses have been doing the rounds for quite a while.
Apple has had ARKit on its iPads and iPhones for quite some time now, but this failed to excite buyers. At last month’s press event, the firm didn’t say anything about ARKit features for the latest iPhone.
With 5G going mainstream, next year seems like a good time for Apple to make a dramatic entrance into the AR glass market.
Other manufacturers have made ground-breaking product launches recently, including Microsoft with its Surface Duo and Samsung with its Galaxy Fold. If Apple remains stuck in an iterative update mindset, the MacBooks and iPhones of 2020 could start to look like museum pieces compared to the latest hi-tech devices.