2020 continues to be a strange year for many of the world’s most innovative technology companies, and Apple is no exception.
Multiple sources are now reporting that Apple has put the brakes on their highly-anticipated Augmented Reality (AR) Glasses project, due to production and engineering issues. Initially set to be released sometime in 2021, plans have now been pushed back with no timeline in sight.
However, this setback is not a sign of Apple losing interest in AR. In fact, the giant tech company has recently obtained patents for a separate product—Mixed Reality Headsets.
Set to be a combination of AR and virtual reality (VR) technology, MR headsets will build on the existing capabilities of both technologies while offering something even more groundbreaking. Imagine being able to interact with a virtual environment while still being aware of the physical world around you. Through the graphic engine and eye-tracking capabilities built into the headset, users will be able to virtually manipulate objects in the physical world, such as pulling up an interactive map or virtual restaurant menu with just a wave of the hand.
Though Apple has yet to officially comment on the patent filings, the large number of filings already submitted is telling to the direction Apple may be taking for their future AR plans.
We’ll need to wait and see whether or not the production issues with their AR glasses will be resolved in the near future, but one thing is clear: Apple is still very much interested in building up its AR and Mixed Reality offerings, and they are more than capable of doing so.
The competition in the AR and Mixed Reality space is only getting tougher, and it’ll be interesting to see how Apple takes the lead and shapes future AR trends. Until then, we’ll just have to wait and see what Apple has up its sleeve.
