- Apple’s Augmented Reality glasses will launch in 2022 at the earliest, according to a top Apple analyst.
- Apple is also planning to release two brand new iPad models in the coming months.
- A 10.8-inch iPad will arrive this year while a new iPad Mini will likely launch in early 2021.
- Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.
A new research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) relays that Apple’s Augmented Reality glasses likely won’t launch until 2022 at the absolute earliest. We’ve heard a bunch of conflicting rumors about Apple’s AR glasses in recent months, but a 2022 launch window seems to be a common thread.
Last year, for example, The Information published a report claiming that Apple executives openly discussed the product in front of 1,000 Apple employees and that the device will likely hit the market in 2022. A recent Digitimes report, meanwhile, also claimed Apple is eying a 2022 release.
As to what Apple’s rumored AR glasses will bring to the table, the device will likely be an accessory to the iPhone as opposed to a standalone product. Similar to how the Apple Watch was launched as an extension of the iPhone, we can expect the first iteration of Apple’s AR Glasses to rely on the iPhone to feed it information.
With that said, we’ve seen reports claiming that Apple’s AR Glasses will include a microphone and speakers, which will allow it to make and receive phone calls. Siri functionality will be a part of the device’s feature set as well. We’ve even seen rumblings that it will ship with an accelerometer so that it can register certain commands when a user moves his or her head in a particular direction. What’s more, Apple’s AR glasses will be able to display pertinent information on the lens in real-time. Apple reportedly will not include a camera on the first-generation AR glasses in an effort to preserve battery life.
Design-wise, reports indicate that Apple’s AR glasses will look like a regular pair of glasses with “thick frames that house the battery and chips.”
Aside from Apple’s AR Glasses, Kuo relays that Apple is planning to release two new iPad models in the coming months. One is said to be a 10.8-inch iPad set to launch later this year. The other will likely be an 8.5 or 9-inch iPad Mini that will likely launch in early 2021.
Kuo adds:
The two new iPad models will follow iPhone SE’s product strategy, and selling points will be the affordable price tag and the adoption of fast chips. We believe that GIS will be the primary touch panel supplier for these two new affordable iPad models because the company is the largest medium-size touch supplier, thanks to the cost advantages of Megasite. We think that two new affordable iPad models will significantly contribute to GIS’s revenue because affordable models account for 60–70% of total iPad shipments.
Apple has certainly been busy revamping its iPad lineup in recent months. The company this past March released a brand new iPad Pro with trackpad support and a LiDAR scanner. We’ve also seen rumors pointing to Apple releasing a 5G iPad Pro with a mini-LED display sometime in 2021.
