Kuo: Apple Glasses to Launch in 2026 or 2027 at the Earliest

[philcourage]

Kuo is my least favorite part of MacRumors - does anyone know of a plugin that can automatically hide any post with his name from the front page?

15 years ago the was a thing called GreaseMonkey and you could edit and delete any part of a website you didn't like. It let you install scripts to alter the design and funcionality of most sites too. I don't know what happened to that.

I would hide any post concerning the AR/VR thing.

 

[cicalinarrot]

iPod was not „playing it safe“. Those tiny HDs were brand new and the whole device was developed in record time.

iPhone was not „playing it safe“. The prototype during the unveiling was barely funtioning, and only as long as Jobs was following the steps the engineers told him to in just the right order. Also, the folks from Nokia famously refused to believe that it was even real, until they bought some on launch day.

iPad was not „playing it safe“. People were shocked how thin and light (and cheap!) it was.

None of those classes of devices were even close to „mature“ when Apple jumped in.

Don't think the comparisons are fitting here.
Mp3 players existed and were a big thing, even if Apple found a very new approach. Tablets existed and iPads were basically bigger iPhones with less features. Cool but nothing revolutionary and surely not as hard to imagine or develop. iPhones were undoubtably the biggest risk and the biggest innovation but... mobile phones were also quite a big thing, weren't they? Of course the iPhone was brave and redefined the industry but at least there was an industry to redefine.

Here we're talking about completely inventing a market segment that doesn't exist. Same with VR/AR and self-driving cars, they started developing tech in market categories that didn't really exist in any relevant way. That requires much bigger development and a whole lot of hypothesis about were the market could be going years in the future.

I'm not saying they always played totally safe but the biggest risks that you mentioned happened in what's now Apple's ancient history, then came a long era of gradually safer choices. But I don't think even their bravest ideas were remotely as unsafe as what they're researching now. And I also believe that because of internal skepticism, longer development and how often they seem to change their mind on these products.

Of course I'd absolutely love to be proven wrong by the success of their glasses or VR thing, like iPhone skeptics have been, but this is how I feel right now.

 

[cicalinarrot]

in what world?
The first iPod was only moderately successful, and had tons of lacking features that competitors already had for cheaper.
It took them lowering the price, introducing the second generation with Windows support, introducing the iTunes Store, and creating a cheaper spinoff called the iPod Mini (later Nano)before it became the cultural phenomenon that it was.
The original iPhone launched… About $300 pricier than most other flagships, with no 3G networking, no third-party application support, no enterprise support, no cut copy and paste, no video recording, no MMS, no group SMS, no turn by turn directions, no home screen customization or wallpapers, no custom ringtones… all of this came later, and it very much reflects in the sales numbers.
The first iPhone took three months to sell its first million units, the iPhone 3G sold that in a weekend.
In total the original iPhone sold about 6.1 million units… the 3G sold about 5X that.
The original Apple Watch had no idea what it wanted to be either, it didn’t really settle into what it is now until the series 3 or so where they finally jumked all the original gimmicks and just… made a finished people friendly product.
In retrospect, all of this stuff took time.

How can you tell me that they didn't know where things were going... and also list all the features that, in pre-existent markets, rivals already had? Is that the same with these glasses? Not remotely.

 

[bluespark]

I'm not at all interested in virtual reality, but I'm extremely interested in augmented reality if it were to look exactly like normal glasses (with all of the shapes and sizes that requires). I've been thinking about this a lot lately, in part because I really love the heads-up display in my car. A heads-up display is conceptually similar in that you see everything you would ordinarily see, but there is also visual information about certain important things -- where to turn, whether I'm over the speed limit, etc. I would love a device that lets me take that concept on the go, for example showing me walking/cycling directions around town, displaying a notification if I receive a text from someone on my VIP list, etc.

This also seems like the perfect opportunity for the next great thing from Apple, since it solves real issues and could do some really exciting things (imagine, for example, looking at a storefront and seeing a quick graphical summary of customer reviews). If I were Tim, I'd be all over this.

 

[bluespark]

Lol, talk about throwing darts blindfolded…didn’t we just see an article not more than a week or so ago where Timmy ordered the new glasses to debut at this years WWDC?

This is an entirely different hypothetical product -- this is not a VR headset.

 

[Matsamoto]

The only way I’m gonna buy one of these, is if they have the same form as Tim Cook’s glasses😊

But seriously; What’s the use case for these glasses?

 

[Crowbot]

The only way I’m gonna buy one of these, is if they have the same form as Tim Cook’s glasses😊

But seriously; What’s the use case for these glasses?

One use case: I'm working on a piece of equipment and I could have the service manual floating above it. I could see airline pilots using them as a head-up display. Maybe not world changing but useful nonetheless.

 

[Reason077]

I already hate being forced to wear glasses due to my Astigmatism. I cannot believe there are people willing to wear glasses for fun 😅

Not an optometrist, but unless you have a very unusual condition, I'm sure that either contact lenses or LASIK corrective surgery would be suitable alternatives if you hate wearing glasses.

 

[currocj]

Credit card ready for apple glasses, apple vr and that soon to be released apple car....

hahahahahaha

 

[Chaos215bar2]

“2026-2027 at the earliest” is his way of saying “I have no idea but seems safe enough to guess it’s not coming in the next 3 years.”

Which is a guess literally anyone with half a brain could have made. We’d have seen working examples of this tech already if it were likely to be in any product in that timeframe.

Kuo is grasping at straws here.

 

[Euroamerican]

iHole....... that's what they'll call a Apple Glasses user.

 

[4odomi]

Not sure why they're playing it so unsafe.
They used to watch tech getting popular and almost completely mature and jump in with the most refined product, at a price that people would only accept from Apple, conquering the market.
Even Google seems to have learned the lesson about crazy experimental stuff that sucks R&D money.

Not true;
iPhone the first smart phone with touch screen - created the market
Apple Watch, the first smart watch - created the market
Apple Blue Tooth Ear Buds - created the market

 

[4odomi]

Those "people" were HERE. "We" ridicule anything & everything not made by Apple.

See phablets while Apple clung to the "perfect"/"one handed use"/"no fragmentation" phone with 3.5" screen and then the "perfect" 4" screen. When Apple went phablet, apparently that whole crowd grew bigger hands or now carry "man purses" or wear "pants with bigger pockets."

See NFC (pay by phone) BEFORE Applepay and then "I won't shop any store that won't accept Applepay" after.

Intel chips were fine before Silicon- "we" craved getting the latest-possible Intel-based Mac and gushed about POWER instead of PPW.

Notch was "iconic" until Dynamic Island became THE way.

See the infamous iPod thread(s) right up to launch day. "We" ripped that thing to shreds in collective opinion.

"We" were big fans of Google Maps before Apple Maps... Spotify before Apple Music... the LG monitor was not so "plasticy"/"wobbly"/"ugly" before ASD when Apple themselves were endorsing it as THE monitor for Macs in Apple's own stores, etc.

I'm convinced that if Apple would bottle and brand air or water, a chunk of this group would smother to death or dehydrate to dust because they would refuse to breathe/drink "inferior" regular air/water if they were short of either exclusively from Apple.

The one lesson to learn from the past around here is that the seemingly collective opinion will readily flip with whatever Apple wants to push. Once Apple rolls it out, "we" will rationalize ANYTHING at ANY price and promptly turn on any competing thing even if it does the same better and/or for less cost. "99% don't want", "no use case", "solution in search of a problem", "I would never buy such a thing" will all magically flip into "Shut up and take my money" and then "how did we ever get buy without..." At least a few will take the middling step of "it's starting to grow on me" and/or "I'll have to try it out in a store first."

Google glass adopters were Glassholes? Let Apple roll out exactly the same and "we" won't be in the cool club unless we have them. In the long run, I suspect "we" will eventually and happily look like Star Trek Borg if Apple will just keep rolling out variations of "wearables"... with an Apple logo on them. Resistance is futile.

Hmmmm, have you actually seen the google glasses?
That's why people wearing them were called glassholes 🤣

 

[cicalinarrot]

Not true;
iPhone the first smart phone with touch screen - created the market
Apple Watch, the first smart watch - created the market
Apple Blue Tooth Ear Buds - created the market

I've also heard that their $19 polishing cloth is the first cloth ever invented.

 

[Euroamerican]

Apple "First".... Not true....

I'm pretty sure the Palm OS phones from Palm and Handspring came out at least five years prior to the iPhone.

 

[rp2011]

Yeah right. If Apple employees themselves are unsure about the AR glasses, its preposterous to think the dorkfest idea if glasses would fly even if the technological hurdles could be addressed. There just isnt a market for such a goofy device. Ask Google.
With the AR glasses at least thoss are intended for the privacy of you own home and for gaming. Techno Glasses are a dead end no matter what. No matter who makes them.

 

[Smooley]

I’m more of a “the glass is filled to 50% of its volumetric capacity” guy. 😀

I am more of "the glass is twice as big as it needs to be" guy.

 

[4odomi]

Apple "First".... Not true....

I'm pretty sure the Palm OS phones from Palm and Handspring came out at least five years prior to the iPhone.

Does this resemble the first iPhone?

Didn't think so 🤣

 

[UltimaKilo]

This will be the next big product category, but I'm suspicious it will be ready this decade.

 

[anshuvorty]

Here we go again!

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Hmmmm, have you actually seen the google glasses?
That's why people wearing them were called glassholes 🤣

Before Apple rolled out iPod: "Have you seen the insane cost of MP3 players? No one in their right mind will buy one..."

Before Apple rolled out >4" phones: "Have you seen the abominations that are phablets?"

Before Apple rolled out ApplePay: "How stupid it would be to pay with phone when I already have perfectly good plastic in my wallet that already works everywhere?"

Before Apple rolled out Dynamic Island: "I love the notch!" and "Notch is iconic" and "it's not a notch, it's more screen RE to the left & right"

I'll fully grant you that that picture of Glasses looks undesirable to me (too). But I suspect if Apple rolled out the very same with an Apple logo on it... or the blue ski goggles mockup exactly as it looks with an Apple logo... or any of the other mockups that "we" think look terrible/"I would never buy"/"No one will ever want"/etc., there will be a magical "shut up and take my money" transformation of group sentiment... exactly as it happened in all of the instances above and then some.

All of us who have been around for a while have seen this exact same movie over and over again. "We:"

1. detest "it" when only available from Apple competitors.
2. have no interest at all in while its only wild rumor Apple might be developing their cut at it.
3. hang on that "no interest" sentiment until enough rumors pile up that we think it actually may happen.
4. then split into a big faction with "no interest," a small faction of "wait and see" and a few who express some interest.

As rumors increasingly prove it is coming, those latter factions seem to grow ("it's starting to grow on me"/"I'll have to see one in the store"). Then Apple rolls it out and most of that first faction seems to evaporate almost immediately.

Step forward a little bit in time of some of the same haters when it was a wild rumor will be evangelizing it in trying to sell others that they should have one too ("how did we ever get by without..."). Some of the early haters will be posting their anxiety about being first to get one on launch day, proudly posting their unboxing, then gushing at how fantastic that thing they previously posted that "no one will want" is, etc.

 

[TechNutt]

I think what made the difference with Google Glasses was the camera. People didn't want to be randomly photographed that way.

I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if Apple Glasses don’t include a camera. It basically has to in order to overlay AR.

I honestly don't know if you are right or wrong, but I think the same argument was made against the watch. The last watch I had worn before the apple watch series 0 had power rangers on it.

I remember the same argument made against tablet computers. Now look. Even households which run on Google have iPads.

Apple "First".... Not true....

I'm pretty sure the Palm OS phones from Palm and Handspring came out at least five years prior to the iPhone.

PDAs were a major tech gadget and definitely predates the iPhone inaugural launch by years! Even HP had a internet device that could make calls. But Apple and S. Jobs made that original iPhone svelte, sleek & functional, which included a phone, iPod AND a PDA! That was a major game-changer in the tech industry! By the way, do you know that pinch-to-zoom feature we all use today? That was Apple ingenuity since Google devices did not offer it back then.

 

[TechNutt]

Yeah. I had 9 and 11 myopia. When I was 26 I got LASIK and now I go around without glasses. No more glasses ever for me, not again.

I’ve been interested in LASIK or PRK. Supposedly, laser-corrective eye surgery is temporary lasting around 10 years or so. Any feedback insight on this? I would need to figure this out before even thinking about wearing any sort of AR glasses.

 

[Crowbot]

I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if Apple Glasses don’t include a camera. It basically has to in order to overlay AR.

It depends on the application but I see your point. Possibly Apple could configure it so it can't take photos.

 

[philcourage]

I’ve been interested in LASIK or PRK. Supposedly, laser-corrective eye surgery is temporary lasting around 10 years or so. Any feedback insight on this? I would need to figure this out before even thinking about wearing any sort of AR glasses.

It's been 9 years and going well. Ask me next year 🤣