What we know about Apple’s mysterious AR glasses

Raymond Wong Jan. 22, 2021 Tech Apple's march towards an augmented reality headset/glasses has been years in the making. Here's the proof. Martin Hajek / iDropNews

If the latest rumors are to be believed, Apple is knee-deep work on a not-so-secret augmented reality (AR) headset, which has reportedly entered the "second phase" of development.

2022 At this rate, the AR headset is well on its way to a third phase and then to the "engineering verification stage," which puts it on track for as early as 2022. MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images

Apple has been laying the groundwork for an AR headset/glasses for years with ARKit for iOS devices. At WWDC 2017, Apple announced ARKit and has steadily added more advanced capabilities such as object occlusion and skeletal tracking. 🎞: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook has extolled the transformative potential of AR even though there hasn't been any "killer" AR experience.

MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images/MediaNews Group/Getty Images

“I view AR as profound. Not today, not the app you'll see on the App Store today, but what it will be, what it can be, I think it's profound, and I think Apple is in a really unique position to lead in this area.” Tim Cook, during Apple's 2017 Q4 earnings call Kilito Chan/Moment/Getty Images

“I can see uses for it in education, in consumers, in entertainment, in sports. I can see it in every business that I know anything about. I also like the fact that it doesn't isolate.” Tim Cook, 2017

In a 2015 New Yorker profile , former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, was not hot on Google Glass — the first consumer AR headset that failed spectacularly. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

“When he later saw Google Glass, Ive said, it was evident to him that the face ‘was the wrong place.’” The New Yorker, 2015 Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

In the same profile, Cook took a jab at Glass for its intrusiveness and said Apple "always thought it would flop."

Stephanie Keith/Getty Images News/Getty Images

“We always thought that glasses were not a smart move, from a point of view that people would not really want to wear them. They were intrusive, instead of pushing technology to the background, as we’ve always believed.” Apple CEO Tim Cook, 2015 Star Tribune via Getty Images/Star Tribune/Getty Images

While Ive and Cook thought Google Glass was terrible, the company's many patent filings strongly suggest that new technology and innovation might help Apple succeed where Google failed. Timing, as they say, is everything. USPTO

In 2017, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, reported on Apple's AR glasses/headset project called "T288." Gurman said Apple was working on a system-on-chip specifically for the device and rOS (reality operating system) based on iOS. USPTO

"Hey Siri..."

Voice control is likely to be an important control method of Apple's AR glasses. It was for Google Glass and it is for AirPods. "Hey Siri, show me directions to the nearest Chipotle." Apple is also reportedly testing touch panels and head gestures as inputs. Shutterstock

A hybrid?

In 2018, CNET corroborated the T288 project , adding the device would be a hybrid AR/VR headset. The site said the headset would feature 8K resolution per eye , which would be far greater resolution than even the best consumer VR headsets like the Quest 2 . 🎥: Apple

A headset that supports both AR and VR seems unlikely to us. Not only would it mean a bulkier and more power-hungry device, but Cook has repeatedly dismissed VR for its isolating experience. Raymond Wong / Input

“I like our products amplifying thoughts and I think AR can help amplify the human connection. I've never been a fan of VR like that because I think it does the opposite.” Tim Cook, 2017 Oscar Wong/Moment/Getty Images

The latest from Bloomberg claims Apple is working on a high-end VR headset that may or may not ever see the light of day. The "mostly virtual reality" headset is being developed for gaming, video, and communicating and reportedly has limited AR capabilities. FatCamera/E+/Getty Images

The head is described as a"high-end, niche product that will prepare outside developers and consumers for its eventual, more mainstream AR glasses" and "some Apple insiders believe the company may sell only one headset per day per retail store." In other words: it sounds more like a developer kit. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

In May 2020, leaker Jon Prosser, who's accurately leaked devices like the AirPods Max and iPhone SE , made the dubious claim that Apple's AR headset would be called "Apple Glass." He also said the headset would be powered by an iPhone, include a LiDAR scanner (but no camera), support hand gesture controls, and charge wirelessly.

$499? Prosser also said Apple is targeting $499 price. USPTO

Apple has a history of releasing new products at under $500. The iPad launched at $499 in 2010 and the Apple Watch at $349 in 2015. AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The biggest giveaway the "leak" might be total BS was Prosser's claim there's a "Steve Jobs Edition." There's no chance in hell Apple is going to tarnish Jobs' legacy with such a tacky version. MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images/MediaNews Group/Getty Images

Development for Apple's AR glasses is ongoing. But any issues could delay or even lead to the rumored headset's cancellation. Hell, for all we know, Tim Cook's been living in the future and wearing AR glasses in plain sight. Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images

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