Apple expected to launch new AR glasses in early 2020
Apple is expected to unveil its long-rumored augmented reality headset early next year, according to respected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who claims the new product will launch in the second quarter of 2020.
In a new research note with TF International Securities, Kuo says Apple will work with third-party brands to launch its first head-mounted AR product in 2020, with Changying Precision rumored to be the main chassis supplier for the hardware.
Back in July, reports claimed Apple had cancelled its AR headset following years of testing,with leaked medical reports showing in 2017 an Apple employee reported eye pain after working with a new prototype, thought to be Apple Glasses.
Shortly after the supposed cancellation, code found in Xcode 11 and iOS 13 confirmed that Apple was still working on an augmented reality headset of some kind, with an icon surfacing that depicted what appeared to be an AR or VR headset that looked similar to the Google Cardboard.
The Apple Post has shared concept images created by Italian Industrial and Graphic Designer Xhakomo Doda that envisions Apple’s new AR smart glasses, which imagine interchangeable frames and a sleek stainless steel casing with a sapphire crystal glass front and back housing the eyewear’s battery and internals.
Apple will likely rely on a wirelessly connected iPhone to handle the computing side of the device, harnessing the iPhone’s CPU, GPU and network connectivity.
The new headset could run a custom operating system, based on iOS, and dubbed “rOS” for “reality operating system”, according to reports.