Ever since Google Glass hit the scene, we've been wondering how Apple would respond. It turns out that Apple didn't need to have a comeback, but it appears Apple could have an augmented reality (AR) headset in the works for 2020 anyway, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Apple is planning AR glasses for sometime in 2020 to come alongside an updated 5G iPhone, reports Mark Gurman. At first, the glasses would be more of an accessory for the iPhone by pairing with it and putting information like texts and maps in front of users at a glance. If it can also pull off games, it'll be a step ahead of the simple display for Google Glass and the display-less tech glasses like Snapchat Spectacles 2 or Amazon Echo Frames.
The Apple AR glasses could get their own app store to offer up experiences tailored to the hardware, as not every iPhone app would be a perfect fit for a display worn on your face. Gurmnan suggests the AR glasses could later become a standalone successor to the iPhone. But Apple first needs to find a reason to make its glasses seem like a necessity, nailing down the killer app that offers more than marginal convenience over a smartphone or smartwatch.
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2020 feeling like the future
We've been following rumors on the Apple AR glasses for some time, as they often crop up. And, 2020 looks like a good year for Apple to make the push.
The company has had ARKit for a while now on its iPhones and iPads, but attention for the feature has waned. At its press event in September, Apple didn't even highlight ARKit features for the iPhone 11. This could come down to Apple hunkering down on AR development to get the hottest features ready for next year.
2020 is shaping up to be the right year for Apple to make a big push into a new space. 5G is here and growing, with 2020 likely to be the year it goes big. Other device makers are innovating with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Microsoft Surface Duo. If Apple sticks to the iterative updates we've seen the last couple years, the iPhones and MacBooks of 2020 could feel like relics in the face of new product form factors.
- Here's another hint Apple AR glasses will come next year
