Apple’s AR glasses could be pushed back to 2025 or 2026 amid ‘design issues,’ says analyst - MarketWatch

In a enactment reported by PC Mag earlier this year, Pu said the glasses would beryllium announced successful precocious 2024. However, helium present believes that they volition debut aboriginal than that. “We present expect the AR Glass to beryllium postponed to 2025-2026, owed to plan issues,” helium said successful an email to MarketWatch.

Apple has been teasing AR for a fig of years, fueling speech astir the company’s plans for glasses. Citing expert Ming Chi-Kuo, MacRumors reported last twelvemonth that Apple AR glasses could look by 2025.

Now read: Apple CEO Tim Cook predicts AR volition person ‘profound’ impact, downplays metaverse

In a caller interrogation with the Dutch media outlet Bright, Apple CEO Tim Cook described augmented world arsenic a “profound technology” that volition impact everything. Apple is expected to denote its ain AR/VR headset successful the coming months, with the instrumentality apt disposable adjacent year.

Apple has not yet responded to a petition for remark from MarketWatch connected its plans for AR glasses.

The planetary VR marketplace was valued astatine $21.83 cardinal successful 2021 and is expected to turn astatine a compound yearly maturation complaint of 15% betwixt 2022 and 2030, according to information from Grand View Research.

But Paolo Pescatore, exertion expert astatine PP Foresight, told MarketWatch that the marketplace for VR and AR is inactive nascent. “It inactive feels similar a solution looking for a problem,” helium said via email. “While determination look to beryllium galore usage cases, adoption and consciousness stay lackluster.”

Opinion: Apple, much than Meta, holds the cardinal to unlocking a ‘metaverse’-type satellite of AR

Nonetheless, determination is scope for a wearable instrumentality that would link to an iPhone, perchance opening up a ‘metaverse’-style satellite of AR. In this mode Apple, much than Meta Platforms Inc. META, -1.23%, could clasp the cardinal to unlocking the imaginable of augmented reality.

A merchandise geared toward astute glasses feels similar a sensible attack and would besides beryllium accordant with Apple’s absorption connected wearable devices linked to its halfway product, the iPhone, Pescatore said. “Furthermore, this feels little intrusive and offers much scope for differentiation,” helium added. “It builds upon its increasing developer assemblage and media partners who are present starting to merchandise features for astute glasses.”

“The institution has placed beardown absorption connected the iPhone arsenic a gateway to the Apple universe,” said Pescatore, noting that this mightiness suggest it is down the curve connected caller hardware. “All rivals person been seeking to differentiate with caller merchandise categories specified arsenic foldable devices, astute glasses, VR and more,” helium said.

But conscionable arsenic Apple technologies specified arsenic the iPad and Apple Watch person revolutionized their respective merchandise categories, Pescatore is assured that Apple tin bash the aforesaid with AR glasses. “Ultimately, erstwhile the instrumentality launches, Apple volition kickstart user request for astute glasses and the AR scenery successful general,” helium said. “For sure, a caller instrumentality volition supply much-needed excitement for the full developer and originative communities.”

Apple’s banal fell 3.9% connected Thursday, outpacing the S&P 500 Index’s SPX, -0.56% diminution of 0.7%.