Apple AR Glasses, Headset Release Timeline Leaked

Apple is planning to launch an augmented reality headset by 2022, followed by a sleeker pair of AR glasses in 2023, a report has revealed.

Previous reports revealed that Cupertino tech giant Apple has been working on a pair of mixed-reality headset. These reports, mostly based on patents, indicate that the company is hard at work on releasing its own pair of smartglasses that has a lot of advanced features.

A new report reveals that Apple is indeed intent on releasing AR glasses sometime in the near future. According to sources speaking with The Information, the company is planning to release an augmented-reality headset in 2022, and also plans to follow that up with a sleeker pair of AR glasses the following year.

This information was revealed in an internal presentation led by Apple's own Vice President, Mike Rockwell. The VP, who also heads the company's AR and virtual reality initiatives, presented new details about the alleged AR headset's design and features to employees.

The exact number of employees during the presentation isn't specified, but The Information's sources said that the number of attendees were enough to fill the Steve Jobs Theater, located at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino. The venue is capable of seating 1,000 people at one time. This further indicates that the company has a sizeable workforce focused on Apple's AR initiative.

The alleged timeframe is contrary to what prominent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note (via Apple Insider). The analyst, known for making accurate predictions about Apple's products, previously said Apple might start producing its AR headset sometime within the fourth quarter of 2019. While he didn't specify an expected release date, the production date seemed to indicate a launch in 2020.

iPhoneHacks noted that the timeline presented by The Information's report is hard to believe. Aside from Kuo's predictions, several references to Apple's AR glasses have been found in internal iOS builds. The references, the site noted, indicate that Cupertino is working to bring its AR glasses out as soon as possible, probably “within a year or so.”

Apple hasn't made any announcement about its AR glasses, though. This means fans should take the report with a grain of salt and wait for official updates as they come.

Update: Apple initially intended to release a headset in 2020, but decided to delay it, Bloomberg reported. It might instead release a combined VR and AR headset designed for watching videos, gaming, and virtual meetings in 2021 or 2022. The headset slated for 2023 will be a lightweight model.