APPLE is exploring a push into smart glasses with an internal study of products currently on the market, setting the stage for the company to follow Meta Platforms into an increasingly popular category.
The initiative, code-named Atlas, got underway last week and involves gathering feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Additional focus groups are planned for the near future, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret. The studies are being led by Apple’s Product Systems Quality team, part of the hardware engineering division.
“Testing and developing products that all can come to love is very important to what we do at Apple,” the group wrote in an e-mail to select employees at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. “This is why we are looking for participants to join us in an upcoming user study with current market smart glasses.”
When Apple is considering whether to enter a new category, it often hosts secret focus groups to understand what people like about existing products. The company typically relies on employees – rather than customers – so it can avoid making its plans public. A representative for Apple declined to comment.
Last month, Bloomberg News reported on another internal study: The company tested an app for people with prediabetes that tracks their blood-sugar changes and diet.
The latest study suggests that Apple is moving forward with its own work on smart glasses. Bloomberg previously reported that the iPhone maker has been considering a foray into the market – potentially challenging Meta’s Ray-Ban device – though an actual product would still be years away.
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The research will likely guide Apple in what features to include in its own glasses and help identify ways the technology could be used.
Creating a successful face-worn device has been a challenge. Apple’s US$3,499 Vision Pro headset, released in February, is seen as too cumbersome and expensive to become a mainstream product.
For years, Apple had sought to make a lighter-weight augmented reality (AR) version of the device – something that could be worn all day and potentially replace the iPhone. Work on that project has sputtered due to numerous technical challenges.
Meta, meanwhile, found success with a more stripped-down formula. Its US$299 glasses, created in partnership with Luxottica Group, are not true AR spectacles – they do not overlay information on the glass. But they let users shoot video, take phone calls and ask questions to an artificial intelligence assistant.
Now Apple is looking to create something similar. Its approach could involve making smart glasses that work like its already-popular AirPods earbuds. A version in glasses form would allow for more battery life, sensors and improved audio technology.
But Apple’s rivals are moving forward as well. In recent months, Meta and Snap both previewed AR glasses – models that can blend the real world with digital overlays of games, text messages and apps. Neither product will be ready for consumers for at least a few years, though. The current prototypes are more about getting app developers to buy into the concept.
Apple also plans to revamp the Vision Pro headset to broaden its appeal. The device is exceptional for watching videos and doing office work, but its weight, high price and limited content have made it a niche product.
The company has been working on a lower-end version with less expensive components. It’s even considered building a device that offloads many of the features and computing processing to an iPhone, allowing the headset to become more of an accessory to products that consumers already own. BLOOMBERG
