Apple could be set to reveal a pair if augmented reality (AR) glasses this year, as the Cupertino company has reportedly been in talks with part suppliers of AR wearables.
At the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 in Las Vegas, Apple reportedly met in secret with such suppliers, and according to Bloomberg is in talks with other companies to develop AR glasses.
There’s scant details on what APple may have discussed with suppliers and other potential partner tech companies, but it’s yet another nugget of reported information that lends credence to rumours that Apple may be working on a pair of smart glasses or a head mounted display for use with AR rather than virtual reality (VR).
Given how many tech companies are now exploring the potential of AR, likely following on from the resurgence of VR thanks to the Oculus Rift, it would be no surprise to see Apple make a foray into the arena.
AR is already a big part of Apple’s latest iPhone 8 and iPhone X chip, the A11 Bionic, which has been designed to bring more processing power to Apple’s ARKit so that developers can create more dynamic AR apps for iOS.
So there’s a lot of scope for Apple to take that technology and move it into a smart glasses platform, much in the same way it took iOS and reworked it into watchOS to work on the Apple Watch.
Apple is not likely to reveal any work it has done with AR glasses until at least June this year, when it will potentially hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.
Revealing a set of AR glasses at WWDC would be shrewd, as it would give Apple a chance to showcase any work developers have been doing with ARKit in a pair of smart glasses, as well as encourage more developers to come and work with ARKit and Apple.
Related: CES 2018 highlights
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
