With all the millennials lining up to snag a pair of Snapchat’s new smart sunglasses from a vending machine, it seems other tech companies are paying attention: according to a new report, Apple is apparently thinking of developing digital glasses.
Citing those ever mysterious “people familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg says Apple is still exploring its options, but in theory, the device would connect wirelessly to iPhones and display images and other information about what the wearer is seeing. It could also incorporate augmented reality, the insiders said.
Sources say the company has discussed its glasses project with some potential suppliers, and has ordered up some near-eye displays from one supplier for testing. It hasn’t ordered enough parts to signal that it’s preparing for mass-production, however, according to Bloomberg’s sources.
The earliest it would be put on the market would be early 2018, one insider said, though Apple declined to comment.
Digital glasses aren’t easy to pull off, as Google found out with its failed Glass project. But as iPhone sales slow down, Apple is likely looking for its next big thing, and augmented reality — or AR as its known —could be it.
“AR can be really great, and we have been and continue to invest a lot in this,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in July. “We are high on AR for the long run. We think there are great things for customers and a great commercial opportunity.”
Apple Considers Wearables Expansion With Digital Glasses [Bloomberg]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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