AI smart glasses, like the ones by Meta, have caught Apple's eye, but where did the AR dream go?
What do you think of when you hear “smart glasses”? Personally, I’d imagine something akin to the best VR headsets out there, but more focused on AR. Something like Google Glass, if I had to be honest, or to be more precise: something with a screen.
Meta, however, stepped in to separate “smart” from “AR” through its collaboration with Ray Ban, producing a pair of AI-enabled glasses that can respond to quick enquiries, capture your point of view for social media — or even stream it, if you’re brave enough — or play music.
Meta being Meta, we don’t have any stats related to the success of the line, but we do know that the company plans to iterate on the product until it can get to a point where it actually has a screen, producing a pair of AR smart specs, if you will.
And you know what? Apple might have found this idea rather… fascinating.
If you’re a regular here, you’ve probably heard of Mark Gurman before. This industry insider has come to be recognized as pretty reliable and this report comes from him as well. Still though, as Mark himself outlines: this is just an idea for now, so there are no promises yet.
But it’s fun to explore, so let’s ask: would these theoretical Apple smart spectacles — or, rather, the iSpecs if you will — be more than just a stolen concept from Meta? Well, as you can imagine: we don’t know much about the idea yet.
From what has been mentioned in the report, it would appear that the iSpecs would take focus on the audio and AI-fueled QNA aspect of the concept, while ditching the social media angle altogether. And given that this is the Cupertino company we’re talking about, that makes sense.
Meta, however, stepped in to separate “smart” from “AR” through its collaboration with Ray Ban, producing a pair of AI-enabled glasses that can respond to quick enquiries, capture your point of view for social media — or even stream it, if you’re brave enough — or play music.
And you know what? Apple might have found this idea rather… fascinating.
The collab has seen success, so when can we expect a screen on these too?
If you’re a regular here, you’ve probably heard of Mark Gurman before. This industry insider has come to be recognized as pretty reliable and this report comes from him as well. Still though, as Mark himself outlines: this is just an idea for now, so there are no promises yet.
From what has been mentioned in the report, it would appear that the iSpecs would take focus on the audio and AI-fueled QNA aspect of the concept, while ditching the social media angle altogether. And given that this is the Cupertino company we’re talking about, that makes sense.
After all, Apple doesn't have a social media empire that it needs to promote, right? Well, I mean... Yet. But anyway, what could you expect from a pair of possible iSpecs, stripped from their social media capturing element?
After all, Apple is still looking to capitalize on this feature, available on the Vision Pro and having only a duo of devices — the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max — to capture those doesn’t really help in that regard. And given the unique POV that a pair of smart glasses would lend to its wearer, Spatial Video is starting to make a lot of sense, right?
This argument also sort of works against the notion of Apple trying to play catch-up with Meta. Rather, the Big A would likely like to have a piece of the dollar-flavored pie, all the while incorporating yet another, more affordable (that the Vision Pro, duh), yet just as trendy AI gizmo into its ecosystem.
All that being said: these are all just ideas and rumors. But here’s the deal: the iSpecs — which I expect to be credited for, if Apple picks it up — would be a solid stepping stone on the path to true AR glasses. And that, as far as we know, is still Apple’s holy grail.
And I, for one, can’t wait to see it happen.
Another outlet for Spatial Videos
That only makes sense, right?
After all, Apple is still looking to capitalize on this feature, available on the Vision Pro and having only a duo of devices — the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max — to capture those doesn’t really help in that regard. And given the unique POV that a pair of smart glasses would lend to its wearer, Spatial Video is starting to make a lot of sense, right?
This argument also sort of works against the notion of Apple trying to play catch-up with Meta. Rather, the Big A would likely like to have a piece of the dollar-flavored pie, all the while incorporating yet another, more affordable (that the Vision Pro, duh), yet just as trendy AI gizmo into its ecosystem.
All that being said: these are all just ideas and rumors. But here’s the deal: the iSpecs — which I expect to be credited for, if Apple picks it up — would be a solid stepping stone on the path to true AR glasses. And that, as far as we know, is still Apple’s holy grail.
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