Reports Apple is building VR goggles that look like normal glasses
The tech giant is reportedly working on a new product that would put augmented reality into a pair of glasses and may reveal details soon.
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Apple is reportedly working on a pair of “augmented reality 5G” glasses that look like normal spectacles.
The rumoured “Apple Glasses” are said to be a top-secret product that overlays computer-generated images onto the real-world around you, reports The Sun.
Augmented reality is when virtual images are placed on top of real-world views.
A simple example is a Snapchat filter, or the Pokemon Go game app.
Putting AR inside a pair of slim specs is a goal for many tech firms – and Apple has been widely rumoured to be among them.
Now respected tech industry analyst Jon Prosser has told Gadget Cast that the Apple Glasses will also be 5G-ready.
That means they’ll reportedly be capable of supporting the ultra-fast internet speeds offered by new 5G networks.
Constantly scanning the environment and adding sophisticated CGI onto the real-world could require very fast internet speeds – which would justify the addition of 5G.
It would also mean that the glasses would be capable of being used even when apart from a paired iPhone.
The Apple Glasses are expected to look like traditional spectacles, which would be a contrast to bulky AR and VR headsets we’ve seen previously.
According to Prosser, Apple is planning to announce the new specs at an event in March or June 2021.
However, he says some early details could be revealed this June, at Apple’s annual WWDC event – which is being held virtually for the first time ever.
Apple has invested a lot in virtual tech in recent years, crafting handing out tools for creating AR and VR tools such as ARKit and RealityKit, as well as creative tools like Reality Composer and Reality Converter.
It’s also loaded a LiDAR Scanner – used for AR and VR tools – onto the new iPad Pro, and will likely do the same for its upcoming iPhones.
Apple hasn’t confirmed plans to debut any smart glasses just yet, but it’s likely that the tech giant is working on such a device.
Most of its competitors have already dabbled in virtual reality and augmented reality, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, LG and HTC.
Previous reports have suggested the new device uses a “catadioptric system” that uses curved mirrors and lenses to combine refraction and reflection.
This means that Apple could ditch the magnifying lenses you find in most traditional VR headsets, potentially reducing the overall weight.
In a patent that surfaced on the web last year, Apple admitted that current virtual reality and augmented reality headsets are too heavy.
“If care is not taken, a head-mounted display may be cumbersome and tiring to wear,” the firm said. “Extended use of a head-mounted display with this type of optical system may be uncomfortable.”
In other news, Apple fans have mocked up an incredible concept “iPhone Flip”.
This story was originally published on The Sun and is republished with permission
Originally published as Reports Apple is building VR goggles that look like normal glasses