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By Tom Pritchard published 13 June 22

Apple Glasses could be arriving sooner than expected

There’s been a lot of focus on Apple’s VR/AR headset recently, and when it might finally arrive. But what about the AR Apple Glasses? 

Well, according to Jeff Pu, research analyst at Haitong Intl Tech Research, Apple’s first set of AR glasses may be announced in late 2024. On top of that, this period may also see the launch of a second-generation VR headset.

Pu made this prediction in a note seen by 9to5Mac (opens in new tab) , but didn’t go into much more detail beyond the potential launch date. The same is true of the second generation VR/AR headset, with Pu claiming Apple has started planning the device. Meanwhile, he reiterated rumors that the first headset will arrive in early 2023.

It’s suggested that Luxshare, a company responsible for cable assembly and connector systems, will be a key Apple supply partner between now and 2024. That means it could be involved in development of both Apple Glasses and the VR/AR headset.

So far we don’t know a great deal about the Apple Glasses. The main point of note is that they will supposedly look like any other pair of glasses, with the key difference being that the lenses also display digital objects and information. 

The device is also expected to sync with an iPhone, to show information from your device on those lenses, and may have a dedicated app store of AR-exclusive software. However, rumor has it that there won’t be any external cameras for privacy reasons, and AR will instead rely on a LiDAR scanner to gauge distance.

Countless patents have been uncovered over the past few years, offering features and innovations that could make Apple Glasses a game-changing piece of hardware. Like using lasers to beam digital objects onto your eye, or special lenses that adapt to the user’s own eyesight requirements. 

But there’s no guarantee that any of those concepts are feasible, let alone whether they’ll appear in Apple Glasses. 

Interestingly, news of the Apple Glasses potential launch window comes shortly after reports that Facebook/Meta was rolling back its own AR Glasses ambitions. Originally expected to launch a first generation model in 2024, a report claims that this will instead be a “demonstration” model. Consumers would apparently have to wait for the second-generation model to buy a pair for themselves.

A lot can happen over the next two-plus years, and there’s no guarantee that the Apple Glasses will be ready by this point. As we’ve seen with the VR/AR headset, a bunch of factors can cause delays  — including development issues and problems in the supply chain. 

The latter is particularly notable at the moment, and Apple is not the only company affected. Here’s just hoping things finally sort themselves out before 2024 comes along.

Tom is the Tom's Guide's Automotive Editor, which means he can usually be found knee deep in stats the latest and best electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won’t let him buy the stuff he really needs online. 

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