Apple Reportedly Gives Up On Its Ar Video Glasses Project

While Mark Zuckerberg and Meta spot guardant pinch augmented glasses projects buoyed by its million-selling group of smart Ray-Bans, Bloomberg newsman Mark Gurman says that Apple conscionable pulled nan plug connected an AR glasses project. Codenamed N107, they’re described arsenic point that would’ve looked akin to regular glasses but pinch added displays successful nan lenses that could nexus to a Mac.

With features that sound akin to devices for illustration nan Xreal One AR glasses, nan glasses could’ve delivered connected nan Vision Pro characteristic that’s closest to being immoderate benignant of a slayer app (popping up a immense virtual show anywhere) without nan $3,499 worth and dense creation that required a caput strap. The glasses too would’ve had tint-changing lenses that, for illustration nan Vision Pro’s Eye Sight, could awesome to onlookers whether nan wearer was engaged aliases not. While different specifications are fuzzy, it doesn’t look arsenic if nan N107 glasses would’ve had a camera aliases immoderate of nan mixed-reality features of nan Vision Pro.

A ample problem, according to Gurman, was processing point that worked bully while being cost-effective proved to beryllium a challenge. Apple initially wanted nan N107 to nexus to an iPhone, but it proved to beryllium a battery-guzzler, and nan iPhone itself didn’t personification tin juice to powerfulness nan glasses — hence nan displacement to a Mac. Unfortunately, that move purportedly didn’t look to spell complete bully pinch executives successful testing.

This astir caller cancellation puts a ample mobility group complete Apple’s early AR and XR plans. Apple purportedly canceled a abstracted AR glasses task successful 2023, and rumor has it that activity connected a Vision Pro 2 has been put connected clasp successful favour of trying to create a cheaper Vision Pro. Meanwhile, nan Vision Pro itself has struggled to find a foothold.

The cancellation too intends Apple is falling further down nan competition. CES 2025 was a playground for each sorts of smart glasses, and Google precocious entered nan fray pinch Android XR. Samsung has too thrown its chapeau successful nan ringing pinch its Project Moohan headset. Last year, Meta showcased its Orion glasses, an AR glasses prototype pinch precocious Micro LED displays and a neural wristband for controls. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has too been bullish connected smart glasses arsenic an eventual conveyance for AI assistants, and nan institution is expected to merchandise some Oakley-branded smart glasses for athletes and a higher-end type of its existent Ray-Ban glasses pinch a show this year.