The future of Apple wearables just got dimmer as the company has canceled augmented reality glasses that would be able to pair with its devices.
According to Bloomberg, Apple’s AR glasses, codenamed N107, were scrapped this week after failing to win over executives. The glasses were initially set to pair with an iPhone, but Apple ran into issues with processing power and battery life. The team opted to have the glasses connect to the Mac instead, but that wasn’t enough to save the project.
As the report notes, the N107 glasses would have featured projectors that could display images and video in each eye’s field of view. Many companies are working on similar devices, including Meta, which will undoubtedly be thrilled to see a major competitor leave the space before even launching a pair of augmented reality glasses.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that beyond the glasses, members of Apple’s Vision Products Group are concerned that the team lacks “focus and clear direction.” Apple’s Vision Pro was not exactly a hit, and even those who did spend a whopping $3,499 on the spatial computer are not using it as often as Apple expected them to.
“The project had been seen as a potential way forward after the weak introduction of the Apple Vision Pro, a $3,499 model that was too cumbersome and pricey to catch on with consumers,” writes Gurman. “The hope was to produce something that everyday users could embrace, but finding the right technology — at the right cost — has proven to be a challenge.”
Apple’s struggles to find a successful new product category have been well-documented at this point. About a year ago, Apple gave up on its elective vehicle, Project Titan, to focus on generative AI. It’s unclear what this means for the cheaper Vision Pro.
