Tim Cook really wants Apple to make true AR glasses. He “cares about nothing else”, according to an Apple engineer. That said, building true AR glasses will take a lot of time.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman though, Apple is developing “its own glasses with cameras and microphones” in the meanwhile, similar to Meta Ray-Bans. Despite this interim product, AR glasses are Tim Cook's “top priority.”
These glasses would tap heavily into Siri and Visual Intelligence, as part of Apple's AI push. However, Apple has some privacy concerns with allowing the glasses to capture media, something that would differentiate it quite heavily from Meta's offering.
Regardless, Gurman's report describes it as an “interim solution” until the company is able to develop true AR glasses. Developing AR glasses still requires a number of technologies to “be perfected.” Even if all of the components are up to spec, it still needs to manufacturable at volume:
A variety of technologies need to be perfected, including extraordinarily high-resolution displays, a high-performance chip and a tiny battery that could offer hours of power each day. Apple also needs to figure out applications that make such a device as compelling as the iPhone. And all this has to be available in large quantities at a price that won't turn off consumers.
Given the fact that Meta has had success in the smart glasses product category, and that AR glasses aren't around the corner, it seems quite likely that Apple will launch some form of smart glasses product in the meanwhile.
According to the report, Apple AR glasses are still a top priority for Tim Cook. He is “hell-bent” on creating an “industry-leading product” before Meta, and “cares about nothing else.”
Meta unveiled its prototype Orion AR glasses last year. Those are still many years away from volume production, and the prototype cost is likely in the tens of thousands. Regardless, competition is fierce – and Tim Cook does not want to lose. It's the “only thing he's really spending his time on,” at least in terms of product development.
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