Why Apple may investigate existing smart glasses

Apple is reportedly considering developing smart glasses, an area where its rivals have made some progress in recent months. According to a Bloomberg report, the company is conducting an internal study of existing smart glasses, collecting feedback from employees who are part of the project. The iPhone maker is reportedly looking for a product that is easier to carry compared to its bulky (and expensive) Apple Vision Pro headset that launched in the US and other markets earlier this year.

Apple’s ‘Atlas’ initiative to study smart glasses

A Bloomberg report Citing sources aware of the company’s plans, it is stated that Apple is considering its foray into smart glasses with a new initiative called ‘Atlas’. Like other Apple surveys, it will consist of company employees who will provide feedback on the smart glasses available to consumers. Apple has reportedly contacted a number of employees to gather information about these products.

Apple’s first portable headset is the Vision Pro, which is bulky and requires plugging into an external battery pack. It’s also significantly more expensive than other mixed reality headsets. It comes with a price tag of $3,499 (approximately Rs. 2.95 lakh), which is much higher than its rival, the Meta Quest 3, which starts at $499.99 (approximately Rs. 42,000).

Meanwhile, rivals Snap and Meta unveiled their next-generation smart glasses earlier this year. Meta’s smart glasses initiative is called Project Orion and is expected to offer a more advanced version of the Meta Ray Ban smart glasses, with support for seeing information on the display. Snapchat also showed off a prototype of its next-gen Spectacles with support for AR features.

According to Bloomberg, Apple wants to integrate technology inspired by the AirPods’ truly wireless stereo headset into its smart glasses. The publication says this approach could help the device last longer on a single charge.

While there’s no word from Apple on whether it plans to launch a new wearable device, its rivals have made significant progress with their products. That said, Meta’s ‘Orion’ and Snap Spectacles smart glasses are unlikely to be sold to customers in the coming months, which would buy Apple some time. develop your own AR glasses.