Even though Google Glass ended up failing as a consumer product because of the price ($1,500 at launch), a complicated fitting process, and the perception that those wearing the device were “Glassholes” taking photos of people without permission, there still is a high probability that AR specs from Apple could replace the iPhone eventually. Some of the technology that Apple developed for Vision Pro will certainly make its way into Apple Glass such as the ability to open an app by staring at the icon.
Apple still has a long way to go before its AR specs go from the drawing board to the marketplace. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, the tech giant has restarted its work to develop lightweight AR spectacles that could be worn all day as a replacement for the iPhone. Gurman writes that while a 2027 launch date has been discussed inside Apple, no one working at the company sees the device being ready for a retail launch within the next few years.
Gurman says that Apple will need to decide whether it wants to spend the millions of dollars it will take to develop AR glasses. But he points out that Apple’s Vision Products Group continues to hire new employees and he expects Apple will continue to lay out the cash to develop the glasses over the next few years while it takes this time to decide whether it is worthwhile for the company to bring AR specs to the marketplace.
If you ask most analysts, they probably would say that Apple Glass will be the successor to the iPhone. Gurman agrees as he writes that AR glasses seem to show the most promise when it comes to “augmenting” and eventually replacing the iPhone.