Apple cancels development of AR glasses
According to a new report by Mark Gurman, Apple has cancelled its AR glasses project, which was expected to pair with Macs rather than work as a standalone device like the Vision Pro.
Apple had been working on a pair of AR glasses that looked like regular eyewear but featured built-in projectors to display information, images, and videos in the user’s field of view. The glasses also included a tint-changing lens feature, similar to a status indicator in a chat app.
The goal was to create a product that everyday users could adopt, unlike the Vision Pro, which has struggled with sales. However, technical challenges and cost issues made it difficult to develop the right technology for the glasses, ultimately leading Apple to abandon the project.
Initially, Apple wanted the glasses to pair with an iPhone, but this setup failed due to insufficient processing power and battery drain issues. The company then shifted to Mac pairing, but this solution also performed poorly during executive reviews, and the design requirements kept changing.
With Apple stepping away from the consumer AR glasses market, Meta now has less competition. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have already sold over one million units, and an AR version is planned for 2027—the same year Apple’s now-canceled glasses would have launched.
Although Apple has backed out for now, 2027 still promises to be a big year for AR gear, with Meta pushing forward. Apple may revisit the idea in the future, but for now, Meta leads the way in the consumer smart glasses space.
