Apple AR Glasses To Make An Appearance In 2020

Listen up fanboys, it’s time to start saving up (or you could just sell your kidney) because the long rumored Apple AR glasses are expected to make an appearance in 2020. This news is courtesy Ming-Chi Kuo, the prolific analyst who’s rarely wrong when it comes to Apple predictions!

Apple is typically known to take its sweet, sweet time when entering a new product line. But the wait for its next groundbreaking product will soon be over.

The last we heard, Apple’s AR headset was rumoured to be a standalone gadget powered by its own rOS, aka reality operating system. But, as we get closer to the launch, it looks like Apple is scrapping the plans for a standalone device. It will instead market it as an accessory to the iPhone.

The Unsolved Mystery

For those of you wondering, it’s still unclear what this mysterious headset will be capable of. But according to Kuo, it’ll work more or less like an Apple Watch and like I mentioned above, it’ll rely heavily on your iPhone.

But the questions that keep me up at night are (okay, not really)

• Will Apple be able to do what Google couldn’t with Glass?
• Will Apple be able to make a pair of AR glasses that don’t make you look like a creepy FBI agent?
• Would they be aesthetic enough for you to wear them?
• Would they be designed just for home use or will they be appropriate for public use?
• And last but not the least, what will a pair of AR glasses provide that an iPhone or iPad screen can’t? (Perhaps, a ray of hope in our sad, depressed lives or it could be a HoloLens 2-like immersive experience that merges the real world with the virtual world!)

While Kuo’s report says nothing about the secrets that Apple’s AR glasses hold, rumor has it that the lenses will act as a deported display to show you the information right in front of your eyes. Your iPhone is most likely to do the heavy lifting when it comes to connectivity and location services.

The Best of Both Worlds – AR and VR?

It is also rumored that Apple will offer both AR and VR-like experiences. But, it’s unclear how, because AR allows you to be present in reality and VR, on the other hand, immerses you in a virtual world while shutting you out from the real world. (Remember the time you thought you were punching a zombie but ended up punching your TV? Yup, that’s VR!) Confusing, but as it always is with Apple, you never know what to expect.

Besides, Apple has already experimented with AR thanks to its ARKit framework on iOS. And can I just say how cool it is to be able to redecorate that dark, gloomy subway platform! Also, let’s not forget, Apple’s boss man Tim Cook is a huge fan of AR. Recently, Cook said that Apple had several new products in the pipeline that could “blow you away”.  There’s also the fact that Apple has been busy picking up companies with an interest in AR. You don’t need a Sherlock to tell you that it’s probably prepping for an AR product of its own.

But then again, 2020 is still a year away. And knowing Apple, everything we’re talking about here is speculation till the time of launch. So, until Cook announces the AR device, you should take the news with a spoonful of salt.

In the meanwhile, I’ve got a few more questions I’m going to toss your way. Given the terrible experience with Google Glass, do you even want a pair of Apple AR glasses? Wasn’t Google Glass weird enough? Are you willing to give Cook a chance? And how can you be so sure that the glasses won’t be so pricey as to demand the sun, moon, earth, and solar system combined?

Now that I’ve provided you all with some food for thought, I’ll take my leave. Ciao until next time, fellas!