Mac-connected AR glasses project reportedly shelved by Apple

Apple was reportedly in the advanced stages of developing augmented reality glasses powered by its Mac computers, but the company decided to halt the project before making any public announcements. According to a detailed report from Bloomberg, the initiative was canceled recently due to unsatisfactory performance results during executive testing. Additionally, persistent revisions to the device’s features contributed to the decision. These glasses were intended to operate on visionOS but were not designed to be a direct successor to the Vision Pro. Instead, they were envisioned as a pair of discreet, normal-looking glasses.

Bloomberg notes that Apple initially aimed to power the AR glasses with the iPhone; however, the smartphone lacked the necessary processing power to support the desired features effectively. Moreover, the glasses would significantly drain the iPhone’s battery life. The discontinued AR glasses featured built-in displays capable of projecting information, images, and videos directly into the user’s field of vision. Unlike the Vision Pro, these glasses were lighter and did not reveal the wearer’s eyes, but they included innovative lenses that could adjust tint to indicate whether the user was engaged in a task or available for interaction. The report draws parallels between the canceled product and XReal’s One glasses, as well as Meta’s Orion prototype introduced last year. Unlike the Orion, which requires a “wireless compute puck” for functionality, the AR glasses were designed without the need for constant connection to a computer or smartphone.

Apple’s vision for these glasses was to create a device suitable for everyday use. However, one of the challenges the company faces is the lower-than-expected usage rates of the Vision Pro among current owners. Employees within Apple’s vision products team have expressed concerns that the project lacked a clear focus and direction. Despite this setback, Apple continues to pursue the development of a successor to the Vision Pro and remains committed to creating AR glasses in the future. The company is also actively working on advanced technologies related to the canceled glasses, such as microLED-type screens, which may feature in upcoming projects.