Apple Inc. (AAPL, Financial) is reportedly conducting internal research to enter the smart glasses market, a growing product category where Meta has already made strides. The project, code-named Atlas, began recently and involves gathering feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses. This initiative is spearheaded by the product systems quality team within Apple's hardware engineering division. The team has invited employees at Apple's Cupertino headquarters to participate in user research regarding the current smart glasses on the market.
Apple often uses such focus groups to gauge interest in new product categories before making a move. These sessions, kept confidential, typically involve Apple employees rather than external customers to maintain secrecy. Currently, Apple is advancing its own smart glasses development, possibly to rival Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, although commercial launch may still be years away.
The research aims to determine features and technologies Apple might incorporate into its smart glasses. Creating a successful wearable face device remains challenging, as seen with the Vision Pro headset, launched earlier this year at $3,499, which was criticized as being bulky and expensive for mainstream adoption. For years, Apple has aimed to develop lighter augmented reality devices, potentially replacing the iPhone, but technical hurdles have slowed progress.
Meanwhile, Meta has achieved success with a different approach, offering a simpler, non-AR model developed with Luxottica, priced at $299. These glasses enable users to capture videos, receive calls, and interact with AI assistants without displaying information on the lenses. Apple now seeks to develop a similar product, potentially integrating longer battery life, advanced sensors, and improved audio technology, much like its popular AirPods headphones.
