Apple's vision for a seamless augmented reality (AR) experience in a pair of smart glasses is still years away, according to a recent report. While the company has begun conducting focus groups, the development process is expected to take at least five years.
Apple is known for its meticulous approach to product development, prioritizing quality over being first to market. Similar to the development of AirPods, HomePod, and Apple Vision Pro, the company is holding on-campus focus groups to gather feedback on existing smart glasses technology.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in his "Power On" newsletter, commented on the current state of smart glasses prototypes from competitors like Meta and Snap, stating that they are "too rough." He emphasized that a truly compelling AR experience in a glasses form factor is still some time away.
"But we’re probably at least five years away from an AR experience that would meet Apple’s quality requirements... In other words, you’ll need to wait awhile before there’s something worth buying." - Mark Gurman
Apple may initially release smart glasses that function as an iPhone accessory, offloading some processing power to the phone. However, their ultimate goal is a standalone device. Achieving this requires further advancements in chipset technology, specifically in power efficiency.
