Apple Glasses rumors have ramped up in recent weeks, but today we’ve gotten our best look yet at the elusive AR lenses courtesy of the most notable Apple leaker of late.
After teasing his intel on Apple Glasses last week, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser unleashed a video this morning sharing everything he knows about one of “Apple’s most mysterious products ever,” which will simply be called “Apple Glass.”
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The Apple Glass prototype Prosser has reportedly seen looks like an “un-intimidating” pair of plastic glasses. It has a LiDAR scanner on the right temple, but no other cameras for privacy reasons (although that could change.) The glasses come with a plastic stand with wireless chargers.
There are displays in both lenses that use an interface called “Starboard,” that can be controlled by performing gestures on the frames or by using your hands in front of them. But only if you are the wearer can you view the display — a passerby wouldn’t be able to tell they’re actually high-tech glasses.
Prosser says the Apple Glass will cost $499, plus prescription, but won’t be offered in a tinted variety. The price seems low considering that Apple’s flagship phones and well-specced wearables cost more, but the leaker has an accurate track record when it comes to prospective pricing.
All the processing will reportedly happen on an iPhone, which could contribute to the lens' low cost. In other words, Apple Glass will function more like an iPhone accessory than a standalone computing device. Prosser compares the processing relationship to that of the first-generation Apple Watch.
What’s perhaps most interesting to us about Prosser’s reveal is his stance that Apple Glass will not be a “life changing” gadget. In fact, he says we should “temper our expectations,” especially for the debut model. This makes the concept of Apple Glass more tangible, which could be the key to mass adoption.
Prosser says the Apple Glass reveal could be positioned as a “one more thing,” announcement after Tim Cook debuts the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch 6 at the company’s fall keynote.
But if the keynote can’t have members of the media present due to social distancing guidelines, Apple reportedly may want to wait until next March.
And even when Apple Glass is announced, it won’t be available to purchase for many months. Prosser suggests the earliest it could come to market is the end of 2021, and at this rate he’ll be the first to know if that timeline changes.
