Apple is set to launch its first augmented reality (AR) glasses in 2022, according to noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities. The iPhone maker will enter the AR market in the second quarter of next year. At the moment, there are no AR glasses that are consumer friendly or even popular.
The augmented reality glasses from Apple could be the first in the market to actually be able to make a difference. Only Google’s AR glasses – Google Glass – unveiled in 2012, came close to being popular in the market but in the end, they did not sell as expected. Apple is known for being late to the party but usually comes better dressed – basically a much more refined product than others in the market.
Mid-2022 release is the current prediction
The notorious Apple leakseter Jon Prosser also reported heavily about the iPhone maker’s rumoured augmented reality (AR) glasses. Previously, Kuo had reported that Apple would release its glasses in 2021 but then later said that the product might not release until “mid-2022”.
We predict that Apple will launch AR HMD [head-mounted display] devices in 2Q22. The device will provide a video see-through AR experience, so the lens is also needed, and Genius is also a key supplier.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had reported that Apple’s augmented reality (AR) glasses would be unveiled ‘in the next several months’. However, as Kuo has pushed his Apple Glass release prediction timeline to next year, Gurman may also do so in the near future.
While it was not suggested by any analyst and neither does it sound like a good move, WWDC could have been a good platform to unveil an all new product – get developers started working on creating apps or services for the AR glasses. But at the same time, it does make sense for Apple to dedicate an event completely for an all new product.
