Apple has reportedly canceled its much-anticipated Augmented Reality (AR) glass project, codenamed N107, due to performance and battery life issues. The project, which had garnered significant attention, aimed to produce smartglasses similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban, designed to display information directly within the user’s line of sight. However, Apple’s ambitious plan seems to have faltered in the face of technological challenges.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s AR glasses were envisioned to connect to iPhones and Macs, offering a seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem. The glasses were said to feature advanced projectors that could display images, information, and videos in each eye, and even adjust the tint of the lenses based on the user’s activity. Despite these promising features, the tech giant faced significant obstacles during development. Apple reportedly struggled with the performance capabilities of both the iPhone and Mac chipsets, which were found to be insufficient for powering the complex functions required by the AR glasses. Additionally, battery life became a major concern, with the power demands of the glasses exceeding what was feasible for a wearable device.
Apple had also reportedly experimented with different designs, attempting to optimize the glasses’ performance while maintaining a lightweight and user-friendly appearance. However, these adjustments did not resolve the fundamental issues that ultimately led to the project’s cancellation. As a result, Apple has now quietly shelved the AR glasses, disappointing many who were eagerly awaiting the company’s next step in the AR and wearable tech space.
With Apple stepping back, Meta is poised to retain its dominance in the AR glasses market for the time being. Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses have already made their mark, offering basic AR functionality in a familiar design. However, the landscape of AR and extended reality (XR) is far from settled. In the coming months, Meta may face stiff competition as Samsung prepares to launch its Android-powered XR headset, which is expected to be equipped with a Qualcomm chipset. This new entry into the market could challenge Meta’s position, offering advanced features and performance that could surpass the current generation of AR glasses.
The cancellation of Apple’s AR glasses project signals the ongoing struggles in the development of wearable AR technology. While the concept of AR glasses remains enticing, the industry continues to grapple with performance limitations, battery life concerns, and the challenge of delivering a truly useful and immersive experience to users. It seems that while the future of AR remains bright, the road to achieving a mainstream product is still fraught with obstacles.
