DigiTimes: Apple Has Temporarily Stopped Developing AR/VR Headsets, Team Disbanded in May [Updated]

[Abazigal]

This is like the Apple Watch and Airpods all over again. People losing their collective minds over a dubious rumour about a product category they do not truly understand.

And you wonder why I say (and am forever thankful) that Apple does not get its feedback from random Internet forums.

 

[msama]

Curious, what problem might exist in the future that doesn't exist now regarding these?

Personally I think the current problem is AR needs a wearable on your face. It would be cool if a device could be stationary like a game console and have something that tracked your eyes to beam an overlay on what you are seeing. This could be AR or wash out everything into VR. Then portability becomes an issue. Maybe it could also be on one of those drones that hovers around you like the extreme sport people use.

 

[jimbobb24]

TBH, I don't know if many people really would like to ware glasses, especially made by tech companies, just for keeping "heads-up online".

It's getting too nerdy.

I feel the same nowadays about the Apple Watch. All those same square mini-iPads on your wrist...
It's one of the reasons I got a Gamin Smart Watch after owning 2 Apple Watches. I know is personal preference, but my Garmin looks sooooo much better.

The technology dream of always on AR is so big that when its ready it will be as common as cell phones. It will change everything. Its not ready. Maybe in 5-10 years. Its going to be huge.

 

[Tech198]

Apple doesn't need to get into glasses.. Why follow the leader others do ? Apple have AR on the phone. For what its worth, it has it's use cases, and if Apple glasses ever DID make a product, it too will suffer the same fate.

It would be used.... but by how many?

The technology dream of always on AR is so big that when its ready it will be as common as cell phones. It will change everything. Its not ready. Maybe in 5-10 years. Its going to be huge.

I don't predict even that far ahead... just in case i'm wrong.. There's always a possibility.

 

[coolerkid]

Nobody wants to wear any of the current designed AR headsets. But people would wear a lightweight pair of glasses that could be tethered to your iPhone and did AR really convincingly without looking stupid. Some for application specific or workplace uses only, and others would wear them all day. I think we are a long way away from this though. Anyone who has tried the latest and greatest devices out there knows nobody is even close.

Apple isn't the same company that was able to leap the market by 5 years like they did with the iPhone, so I don't expect to be surprised by them with something that is far ahead of the market or use new technology nobody's seen before. I think once the whole market is finally releasing compelling solutions, Apple will release a similar version of their own that will be cleaner, work better, look better, and have a much larger library of content. But again, I think we are so far away from this. The idea that they are canceling this project though is just ridiculous.

Steve would have called this AR/VR for the BS it all is. Nobody wants to wear a daft 3D headset and nobody wants to wear Googles style glasses. They only get you mugged. These are the same reasons those 3D TVs were junked.

Simple fact is people want 3D but don't want gimmicky dongles to get there. Make REAL 3D and do it properly. No, I don't know how and it's not my problem but all these other things are garbage.

 

[Awesom-0]

Yea, Apple would never kill a product line in development. Oh wait, Airpower.

I come back with the butterfly keyboard. Oh..

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

Those things look horrible from an aesthetic and industrial design standpoint....

They look like Oakleys. Oakleys are very popular, don't you know?

 

[redheeler]

The report claims the team working on them was disbanded in May and reassigned to other product developments.

Good, maybe we won't have to wait four years for a new Mac mini this time.

 

[DNichter]

I’m never disappointed when I see stories like this. I’m glad Apple can either admit the tech isn’t ready or the value simply isn’t there. I wish more companies would do the same.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Good, maybe we won't have to wait four years for a new Mac mini this time.

The new Mac Mini is almost certainly coming.

 

[mikethemartian]

just buy magic leap already

Doesn’t Google own part of them?

 

[Minxy]

Why?

 

[_Refurbished_]

This is fine. AR is stupid mostly and VR is second to useless. Both will die off like 3D TVs only to be resurrected in a couple decades again.

VR is cool. It’s just not ready for prime time. It needs to be fully wireless, powerful, lightweight, and cheap. It’s a great product in that scenario. In its current form, it’s too expensive and cumbersome. Luckily, it isn’t going anywhere soon, so we’re likely to see it mature over the next five years.

 

[dogslobber]

The new Mac Mini is almost certainly coming.

Somebody should start a thread about this!

 

[foozipper]

Japanese blog said Apple remove VR headset image in May.

 

[Glockworkorange]

When Tim says “great products in the pipeline” did he mean Apple News+? No car, no glasses, what are they planning that is new hardware? I guess they are destined to just be services and monthly fees now?

I think that's right. What's left? Incremental updates, occasional re

Isn’t this rumor coming from DigiTimes which has a horrible track record?

true. Their record is *****.

Also, what problems do the glasses solve?
[doublepost=1562890826][/doublepost]

Others with not-so-trustworthy privacy policies will still make them. Apple not making AR glasses is actually a loss for privacy.

Again, what problem or problems do these glasses solve? Other than “new hip and hit product for apple.“ I mean, feels like a reach. I really think they need new leadership. And no, not Jeff Williams.

 

[JosephAW]

I don't mind it being teathered to my iPhone for performance and features. We're used to that with the watch.

 

[ZappBdot]

They look like Oakleys. Oakleys are very popular, don't you know?

They look just like my Porsche Design Glasses! Best ever! Really like them!

 

[Defthand]

Lots of excitement expressed by some here for a product that they can't list uses for. Signage translation and walking directions describe a traveler's tool. Hardly a product that would benefit the average person daily. For routine activities and backyard destinations, what information do you need to function?

Most likely, marketers and social media will decide how this product serves you. It will be another delivery channel for notifications and ads—the very things that distract you now.

 

[aksala]

Sad if true...

Not sad, good riddance I say. AR was/is a non-starter, at least in today's contexts. I've yet to see even one viable, non-entertainment based use of AR (not to mention providing it without cumbersome glasses) that makes sense in a killer-app type product. I think the fact that Google dropped their 'Glass' headset when they realized no-one (outside of those with cash to burn) wanted it, should have been indication enough that it was a non-starter. I think there is still potential in the future, but I don't think we're there yet in terms of technology or buy-in from the general public.

I do think there is potential if someone out there can come up with a truly compelling AR experience without a cumbersome headset/glasses. Maybe far in the future an AR experience will be fully embedded in a contact lens type device, truly making it an integrated human/computer experience.

 

[AxoNeuron]

For the past 2 years I’ve believed that smart glasses linked to your phone would be downright revolutionary. It would be a real shame if this rumor is true. Apple so badly needs a new hit/innovation.

It wouldn’t even necessarily about the product itself, no one really cares to see notifications or video through glasses. The really revolutionary thing would be the stuff 3rd party developers could do with such a platform. Smart glasses but apple could be truly amazing

I’m guessing they’re moving the engineers to work on Apple Music or something even more tedious...

 

[Unprotected Memory]

I wonder which team won...for something with as much potential as AR/VR, Apple would likely have multiple teams working on separate visions of the technology. Our favorite fruit company isn't the type to walk backward on the technology it has showcased at the last few iPhone/iPad launches.

 

[partsofspeech]

I would really be surprised if this is true. Apple has invested a lot of time and effort in AR technology and I think Apple Watch, Air Pods & Apple Glasses would make a great trio of wearable devices to allow people to stay connected while they walk around "heads up" and "hands free".

Without wearables people can still stay connected all the time.

 

[SnoFlo]

Uh, so does anyone actually own a VR headset here? VR/AR is useless? I own Samsung Odyssey+ and HP Reverb augmented reality headsets and my clinic has already begun using VR headsets for 3D echocardiography and in 3D CT scanning. Hospitals already have surgeons using adapted Microsoft augmented reality headsets in Phase III clinical trials for endoscopic surgery. Industrial designers are already using Microsoft's headsets for 3D design tasks. Microsoft's lead AR designer doesn't even use LCD monitors anymore for his work: he uses an AR desktop with screens arranged around him in virtual space. Granted the resolution of current AR isn't there yet for certain applications like reading small text.

Aside from work tasks watching movies in VR is quite amazing. The screen-door effect is almost gone in the new AR headsets. Oh, and the games can be really cool. I saved money and space by opting not to buy a big-screen TV or projector because of these headsets. If you want to try an untethered headset, give the Oculus Go a whirl.

 

[aksala]

In the end,

Japanese blog said Apple remove VR headset image in May.

Ok, in the end, who should really care? Just because Apple may be dropping their AR/VR initiative for now, doesn't mean others aren't still forging ahead on this path. As big as Apple is, they can only explore so many subjects at a time, and there are no doubt many others (HTC, Oculus, etc) who are ahead of Apple in this space and will continue to innovate. Maybe at some point Apple will buy them out and absorb their technologies to come out with some sort of Apple VR/AR type product.