"No Interest in Anything Else"... Apple Focuses on Developing Next-Generation Product 'AR Glasses' to Follow iPhone

Setting AR Glasses as the Top Priority
"Must Be Developed Before Meta"

Apple is focusing on developing augmented reality (AR) glasses as the next innovative product to follow the iPhone.

AP Yonhap News

On the 13th (local time), Bloomberg News cited sources saying, "The only area where Apple CEO Tim Cook spends time on product development is AR glasses, and he has no interest in anything else," adding, "Cook shows a strong determination to create an industry-leading product ahead of Meta Platforms (hereafter 'Meta'). He wants true AR glasses that customers can wear all day long."

AR glasses are devices that overlay digital content using AR functions onto the user's field of vision. Apple has been developing AR glasses for several years and initially planned to unveil the product in 2023 but postponed it due to technical limitations.

Some analysts suggest that Apple was stimulated to resume full-scale AR glasses development after the prototype of Meta's AR glasses, 'Orion,' received significant acclaim in the tech industry. Meta made a splash last September by unveiling its self-developed Orion.

Apple's AR glasses release schedule is unknown. Bloomberg News observed, "Various technologies such as ultra-high-resolution displays, high-performance chips, and ultra-small batteries capable of supplying sufficient power must be perfectly equipped for AR glasses development," and predicted, "It will take several more years before the product is completed."

Along with AR glasses, Apple is also developing two types of headsets. One is the mixed reality (MR) headset, the successor to Vision Pro, called 'Vision Pro 2,' and the other is a headset known to be used in connection with Apple's PC lineup, Mac.

Bloomberg News stated, "Currently, Vision Pro is priced excessively high, comparable to Apple's most expensive laptops," and predicted, "Vision Pro 2 will be cheaper and lighter than the existing headset, going beyond a simple chip upgrade." The specifications of the headset used in connection with Mac have not yet been disclosed.

While Apple is preparing two new types of headset devices, Bloomberg News added that, in the long term, AR glasses development is Apple's bigger goal.