Stop everything, Apple exec's tweet might've been an Apple VR Glasses demo

News
By
last updated

Peek does have an Apple Glasses meaning

Apple March Event Tweet Video
(Image credit: Future)

Did we just see a micro-mini demo of Apple's rumored AR Glasses?

When Apple's head of global marketing Greg Joswiak tweeted on Wednesday the announcement of Apple's March 8 product event, he used the word "Peek," which is obviously about seeing something, and may have been our first hint.

However, if you turn down the music (Wonder by Yung Bae) and focus on the 15-second video, you'll notice something else.

Apple March 2022 Event

Apple’s March Event is official – here’s what to expect, including iPhone SE 3 

The video opens with a shot of the Apple Theater stage at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. We've seen that stage in person, and it's clearly the real place. Floating above the stage is a translucent, 3D Apple logo that appears almost lit from above.

The logo is interesting because it appears to have a presence, like a physical object hovering where Apple CEO Tim Cook might normally stand (and probably will on March 8).

The camera pans and turns to keep the Apple Logo center frame. Unlike smooth, 3D render movement, there's almost a slight, human wobble. As the camera rotates more waves of logo graphics float forward and past the camera. If you look closely at the stage edge, you can see that the camera is not going into the logo. Instead, the imagery is coming toward it.

Finally, the camera moves forward past the edge of the stage and the imagery grows brighter and more intense, with different colored logos sliding past the viewer. Once the logo stops changing, it's clearly still on stage.

Is it Apple Glass?

What it all looks like, though, is a viewport from augmented reality glasses, more precisely, Apple Glasses.

Apple has never confirmed the long-rumored project, but we've had plenty of rumors over the years to whet our interest.

The key points are they could be lightweight and look a lot like normal eyeglasses, a feat only possible because the digital eyewear would push most processing off onto the iPhone in your pocket.

Assuming this video is a feed from the transparent OLED lenses we might expect to see in Apple Glasses, the video makes sense. You wouldn't see frames or feel like your field of view is narrowed.

There is also the possibility that this is a view feed from the more involved and rumored Apple Mixed Reality headgear. That headset might be a bit more like Microsoft HoloLens and put more of the components in the headset as opposed to an iPhone.

It's true, this is a big leap to take from a 15-second video, but Apple doesn't do anything by accident. The use of the work "Peek" in "Peek Performance" is intentional, as is every single frame of this video.

As if you needed more evidence, visit The Apple Events page using Safari on your iPhone or iPad. If you tap on the logo, you'll gain access to that same AR logo object and can view it floating in space in your home or office.

It's time to get very excited about Apple's March Event

Apple AR demo

Apple's March Event Easter Egg is an AR object. (Image credit: Future)
TOPICS
Lance Ulanoff
Lance Ulanoff
Editor At Large

A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.