Apple AR Smart Glasses Release Date, Specs Rumors: Apple's Augmented Reality Device to Become as Big as the iPhone?
Apple CEO Tim Cook's latest remarks regarding the importance of augmented reality (AR) have sparked renewed interest in the smart glasses that the Cupertino-based tech giant is rumored to be working on.
It was late last year when news of Apple's smart glasses first gained traction online. At that time, people close to the matter had told Bloomberg that the company was working on digital glasses that could be connected wirelessly to the iPhone and would show information and images in the user's field of vision via AR.
Apple did not comment on this speculation but since then, Cook has become increasingly vocal about the value he sees in AR. In a recent interview with The Independent, the Apple executive once again spoke about the technology's immense potential.
"I regard it as a big idea like the smartphone. The smartphone is for everyone, we don't have to think the iPhone is about a certain demographic, or country or vertical market: it's for everyone. I think AR is that big, it's huge. I get excited because of the things that could be done that could improve a lot of lines. And be entertaining," he said.
Cook also explained that unlike virtual reality (VR), AR allows individuals to continuously interact with the world. They can be engrossed in AR and have it be part of the conversation, rather than become isolated by the technology.
Earlier this year, tech journalist Robert Scoble reportedly received intel at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that Apple was working with Carl Zeiss on a pair of AR/mixed reality glasses which could be released sometime this year.
According to reports, the AR smart glasses could arrive as early as this summer.
On the other hand, there are reports saying that AR technology that Apple is working on will be for their upcoming flagship smartphone. The iPhone 8 is already rumored to be a game-changer and having AR will potentially serve as a "key differentiator" for the device.
"Following recent industry commentary, we are increasingly confident that the upcoming iPhone 8 will include AR technology that represents a significant feature upgrade from prior iterations," said Goldman Sachs equity analyst Simona Jankowski, in a research note obtained by CNBC.
Ultimately, there is no confirmation yet on what form Apple's AR technology will take on. However, with hundreds of employees working on the project, it's clear that Apple is cooking up something quite revolutionary.
