Apple Glasses are in the works: but don’t expect them to arrive with the iPhone 11
Apple is working on a pair of AR glasses to take on Google Daydream, according to a fresh batch of reports.
The news stemmed from MacRumours on Sunday, which reported uncovering evidence of the glasses after getting access to an internal build of iOS 13. The report didn’t go into details about the tech, but it reported the build suggests Apple may be working on a rival to Microsoft’s Hololens, Google’s Daydream and Facebook’s Oculus Quest.
Specifically, the site reported uncovering a customer STARTester” app that will let users switch in and out of an AR mode. This suggests the headset could be powered by an iPhone,in a similar way to how Google Daydream uses Android phones to work.
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The build also reportedly included “ARStarBoardViewController” and “ARStarBoardSceneManager” strings of code and “views” “starboard mode” and “scenes” functions.
Finally there was early signs of new code to support stereo audio in AR apps, lending further credence to the notion that Apple is developing a headset.
The news follows conflicting reports suggesting Apple had canned its AR headset plans earlier this year. Apple doesn’t comment on rumour and speculation so gauging which report is right is a little tricky.
The code could be left over from a canned project or part of an ongoing experiment. It doesn’t mean the company will actually release an AR headset.
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Even if Apple does plan to release a headest, that doesn’t mean it’ll appear at the company’s rapidly approaching 10th September event. Invites for the event went out last week. Apple’s expected to use the event to launch its new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone XR 2 handsets and Apple Watch 5 smartwatch. There’s been no mention of Apple Glasses being at the event from credible sources thus far.
The iPhone 11 is expected to sport a completely reworked design to Apple’s existing iPhone XS, featuring a square rear camera housing. It’s also expected to feature an upgraded multi-sensor camera setup.
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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.
Professional conduct
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.
