Apple’s AR smart glasses now have a potential release date to compete with Meta
Apple is still working on AR smart glasses of its own to compete with Meta's upcoming offering, and we now have a potential release window to mark on our calendars.
The Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses do not feature true AR. | Image by Meta
Meta — which has over a decade of experience in the XR (Extended Reality) market — is reportedly aiming to release a consumer-grade version of the Orion smart glasses next year. Apple wants to take on Meta with AR smart glasses of its own, and now we have a potential release date for when we can see CEO Tim Cook’s new obsession in action.
AR smart glasses by Apple
According to a new industry report from market research firm Omdia, Meta is on track to release its AR smart glasses next year. Unlike the Meta Ray-Ban Display, these glasses will feature proper AR (Augmented Reality) because they will have a display for both eyes each.
Apple, meanwhile, will be unable to beat Meta to the market as CEO Tim Cook had been hoping. Instead, Omdia expects the company to have its own AR smart glasses ready in 2028 instead. Part of the reason that Apple has had to delay its work on its smart glasses is because of the company’s ongoing struggles with perfecting Apple Intelligence.
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What would sell you on Apple's glasses over Meta's?
The real end goal of the Vision Pro
Apple Vision Pro has sold quite poorly. | Image by PhoneArena
In 2024, we saw the release of the Apple Vision Pro, the company’s premium MR (Mixed Reality) headset. Though sales expectations were already pretty modest compared to established product lines like the iPhone, the headset still failed to meet said expectations.
The $3,499 price tag ensured that even enterprise clients, let alone the average consumer, would give the Vision Pro a wide berth. XR being a very niche market segment compared to smartphones also didn’t help matters, as the Galaxy Z TriFold sold out in minutes despite a ridiculously high price tag of its own. Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, meanwhile, has not sold nearly as well despite the much lower asking price.
From reports following the Vision Pro’s launch, we now know that Apple’s real end goal was always AR smart glasses. Its headset was a result of being limited by the technology of its time and was made mostly just to help establish Apple’s name in the XR industry.
I cannot wait for AR glasses
Many consumers and tech enthusiasts are not sold on the idea of transitioning from smartphones to AR smart glasses, but I am. I love smartphones, don’t get me wrong, but I am so excited for AR smart glasses to become mainstream.
It’s going to take a lot of convincing to get people to even give them a try, but as long as companies make excellent glasses with superb AR, I think users will come around to them very quickly. Apple’s AR glasses excite me in particular because I’m sure that whatever gimmick the company ends up employing will likely be adopted by the rest of the industry as well.
And you can find me discussing any such glasses whenever they come out over on X and Threads.
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Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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