Kuo says new Apple CEO removed Vision Pro headsets from the roadmap to focus on this device
In one of his first acts as CEO, John Ternus decides to focus on the product once called Apple's "Next Big Thing."
Apple is replacing Vision Pro sequels and is focusing on this device instead | Image by PhoneArena
While the Vision Pro still remains the most ambitious Apple product ever made, and it does do a number of impressive things, the tech giant is reportedly eliminating the spatial computer's successor models. The change in plans has been decided on by incoming CEO John Ternus, who apparently made the decision to do this a while ago. Apple will instead focus on its smart glasses, which not only have more appeal for a broader range of consumers, but are also cheaper.
Will smart glasses be the first big product to kick off Apple's Ternus era?
This information came from TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is considered one of the top experts in turning supply chain data into credible information. Kuo wrote on X that Ternus (better get used to seeing that name) has decided to hold off on the previous plans to make a second-generation Vision Pro and a lighter version of the mixed-reality headset.
Kuo did say that by checking Apple's supply chain, he has come to the conclusion that the glasses everyone is waiting for, the AR/XR model that sports a display, and supports Augmented Reality (AR), has been pushed back to a 2029 release. He also stated that the display-less model, which will compete with the Ray-Ban Meta, is still expected to ship in 2027.
There was a time, a little after Google Glass was introduced, when smart glasses seemed to be the next big thing from Apple and would replace the iPhone. On April 4, 2012, Google introduced Project Glass by releasing a video showing how a Google Glass wearer could use the specs to get through an entire day. From going through his appointments in the morning to arranging a meeting with a friend via text, the Google Glass wearer uses AR to view data that appears right in front of his eyes.
AR smart glasses can easily be identified as the next big mobile device after the smartphone
Heading to Strand Books, the smart glasses show the user that the subway is down. It is not a problem as walking directions to the store appear. Inside Strand Books, the store is mapped out, and the user gets directions to the store's music section.
Which product do you plan to buy?
The video showed how useful smart glasses can be. The problem with Google Glass was that Google started to hype it before the wearable was ready to be sold to the public. People were worried that Glass wearers were taking pictures of them without consent; movie theaters banned the smart glasses because some users were recording bootleg copies of first-run movies.
Google wasn't ready to make Glass a consumer product
Google, realizing that it bit off more than it could chew, stopped selling the consumer Explorer edition in January 2015. The company continued to sell the Glass Enterprise Edition 2 to business users and they did perform well. But on March 15, 2023, Google stopped selling all versions of Google Glass.
Google had been so serious about selling Google Glass as a consumer product, that it set up high-end fitting rooms where early adopters could try on the device, have it fitted to their face, and learn how to use the product. In 2013 and 2014, Google started planning to convert massive floating barges into luxury showrooms.
A couple of things that Apple needs to do to prevent running into the same problems as Google
To make sure that Apple's AR/XR glasses don't run into the same problems that Google Glass had, Apple will need to include a light that allows bystanders to understand that the camera is being used to take photographs or record video. This way users aren't accused of taking pictures and videos of people without their approval.
Another issue that killed Google Glass was the pricing. The Explorer Edition had an introductory price of $1,500. Yet, some reports indicate that the retail price was going to be between $299 and $600. Vision Pro, with 256GB of storage, is priced at $3,499, and the N50, the smart glasses Apple plans on releasing next year without a display, is rumored to cost somewhere between $200 to $500.
However, consumers won't get away so easily when it comes to 2029's Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality smart glasses with optical wave guide displays. This model is the true holder of "The Next Big Thing" name and could cost $700 to more than $1,000.
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