This may explain why Apple has not yet released augmented reality glasses.

Last week, Mark Gurman reported that Apple has canceled its augmented reality glasses project due to some demos shown to executives not performing well. Although Vision Pro struggled to gain momentum in sales, on the surface, AR glasses seemed like the best path forward for Vision products. But this may not be the case—at least not yet.

Vision Pro Points to the Future, Only Augmented Reality Glasses Can Achieve It

When Vision Pro was released last year, commentators had two common criticisms:

• It needs to be lighter, and glasses are the ideal form factor.
• And it's too expensive.

Aside from these two issues, there was a general consensus that Apple achieved some very impressive feats in terms of visionOS and Vision Pro hardware.

For many, the device felt like the future—but some current limitations hindered its progress.

Apple's augmented reality glasses project seemed like the answer.

But now it has been canceled.

This leaves many of us wondering: why?

Why Are Apple Glasses Still Not Released? Two Possible Reasons

When considering the possibility of Apple glasses, two key factors will prevent this product from appearing anytime soon:

1. Physical limitations
2. And Apple's other wearables

The first point is simple.

Apple has already been working hard to make its current AR product—Vision Pro—light enough to be comfortable to use.

Augmented reality glasses may be a dream, but achieving it in the short term is not realistic.

Only when Apple can release a significantly lighter Vision Pro, and no longer requires medical experts to design auxiliary devices to improve comfort, can AR glasses truly be considered for use.

But some might say: "If Apple can't release suitable AR glasses, why not launch something like Meta Ray-Ban?"

I've heard good things about Meta smart glasses and similar products from competitors.

While they each have their own strengths, their functionality is primarily limited to features that Apple's existing wearables already offer or are about to offer.

AirPods and Apple Watch have been hugely successful, and together they can accomplish many of the functions currently offered by smart glasses.

With AirPods, Siri and ChatGPT are always on standby, notifications can be read aloud by Siri or displayed on the Apple Watch, playback controls, translation, and more are all achievable with wrist gestures, and even more features are coming soon.

Multiple reports indicate that Apple is developing plans to integrate cameras into future AirPods models—a feature that would eliminate one of smart glasses' remaining unique advantages.

Given that existing wearables already have similar functionality, Apple has no need to create smart glasses before they can offer true augmented reality support.

Apple Glasses: Summary

Will we all be wearing augmented reality glasses someday? Maybe.

But first, the technology needs to advance enough to create a compelling product that drives this cultural shift. And all signs point to us having several years before such a change is possible.

Less capable products, like smart glasses, might become more popular sooner. But if AirPods and Apple Watch can offer similar functionality, wouldn't most of us choose those accessories over wearing something on our faces?

The augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and headset market holds immense potential. But for now, Apple delaying its AR glasses project is a wise move.

Continued improvements to Vision Pro, AirPods, and Apple Watch will help the company eventually achieve its eyewear dream—it just takes time.

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