Apple is one of the companies working on augmented reality (AR) glasses, although the company has never confirmed it. Apple’s AR remarks over the years culminated last year when it made AR one of the main features of iOS 11. Actually, the very fact that iOS officially supports AR experiences might be all you need to speculate that Apple is working on AR glasses for the future.
Various rumors have claimed that Apple is indeed working on such devices. Many of these rumors have suggested that Apple’s AR glasses, whatever they end up being called, would complement, not kill, the iPhone. At least, for now. While we wait for the first big leak that offers confirmation of Apple’s plans for new AR glasses, we have a few images showing a concept of what the designer calls “Apple Glass.”
The images below, posted on iDropNews and created by Martin Hajek, show AR glasses that look almost like a regular pair of glasses.
The frame would be made of metal, and it would house the main components of Apple Glass including cameras, sensors, and wireless antennas, while the arms may include the chipset and the battery. The arm covers may be interchangeable, allowing users to personalize the look and feel of their AR glasses just like they do with the Apple Watch.
The glass is actually where the AR magic happens, as seen in the following image. The glasses will project a minimal user interface combining elements from iPhone and Watch, with the actual content coming from a nearby connected iPhone.
Finally, this concept suggests that charging the battery in Apple Glass will be done wirelessly. Let’s hope that by the time Apple actually launches the product, long-range wireless charging will be available, which would allow the user to recharge the glasses while wearing them.
Apple’s first-gen AR glasses may ship as soon as 2020, according to some reports out there, which is reasonably close at this point.
