In recent weeks, several Apple products have been canceled. Among the most notable, the Apple Ring or the Apple Car. Projects that promised a lot but that are going to come to nothing. However, the Californian company is working on an exciting new development: some smart glasses and some new ones AirPods with cameras integrated.
These devices are part of the company’s efforts to expand its range of augmented reality products, and are expected to offer a more accessible experience than the Vision Pro, the Californian company’s mixed reality glasses.
New glasses and AirPods with cameras
The Vision Pro, with its price of $3,500 in the United States, has been criticized for several reasons since its launch. Many users consider that the device it’s too expensivecumbersome and prone to overheating, which limits its prolonged use and places it in a more niche category than Apple had anticipated. Although it was presented as a revolution in augmented reality, interest in the device has waned, and sales have not met the company’s expectations.
In response to these challenges, Apple is rethinking its strategy for the future. According to Mark Gurman, a renowned Apple analyst, the company is exploring lighter and more accessible alternatives that can reach a broader audience. This is where smart glasses and AirPods with cameras come into play, devices that could take advantage of the visual intelligence technology developed for the Vision Pro, but in a much more everyday and familiar format.
Apple is taking inspiration from products like Meta’s smart glasses, which collaborated with Ray-Ban to offer a device that combines style and technology. Although specific details about the Apple Glasses have not yet been revealed, these glasses are expected to include integrated cameras and recording capabilities. environment analysis to offer real-time information to users.
Augmented reality at Apple
As for the AirPods with camerascould allow users to capture images or videos directly from the headphones, integrating augmented reality functions almost imperceptibly into their daily routine.
Additionally, Apple plans to bring some of these visual intelligence innovations to its current products. Gurman reported that one of the next versions of the software for the iPhone 16 will allow users to open the Camera app and obtain real-time information about the objects they point with the device. For example, if you point the camera at a restaurant, you can see the opening hours and reviews, or if you point it at a plant, the iPhone can identify it instantly. This feature will even add events to the calendar automatically by recognizing dates in images, such as flyers or posters.
Apple is developing smart glasses and AirPods with cameras by 2027, looking to expand its augmented reality technology beyond the famous but disappointing Vision Pro. It also plans to release a version cheapest of the Vision Pro in 2025 and a second generation in 2026, to bring augmented reality to a more accessible audience.