If you’re hoping to augment your reality with a pair of Apple-branded specs, you might not have too long to wait, as the initial version of the Apple Glasses could land in the second quarter of 2022.
That’s according to Ming-Chi Kuo (an analyst with a great track record for Apple leaks), who predicts in a research note seen by MacRumors that “Apple will launch AR [augmented reality] HMD [head-mounted display] devices in 2Q22.”
However, release date rumors for the Apple Glasses have been all over the place, from as early as this year (2021) to 2023 or later, with Kuo himself adjusting his predictions as time has gone on. So despite his generally good track record, we’d take this 2022 claim with a serious helping of salt.
- Read our full Snapchat Spectacles 3 review
- These are the best VR headsets
- The iPhone 13 is also on the way
Headset or glasses, AR or VR?
There’s also the question of what form this AR wearable will take. Generally when we talk about Apple Glasses we think of something along the lines of Google Glass – actual glasses with an augmented reality display built into the lenses. But there’s talk in some quarters of the initial version being more of a headset, like goggles, with sleeker glasses possibly following a few years later.
Kuo’s description here doesn’t make it entirely clear which version he expects in 2022. Further confusing matters, these aren’t the only glasses-like devices Apple is rumored to be working on, as the company is also rumored to be developing a VR (virtual reality) headset, which itself could land in 2022. Or maybe this 2022 device will offer both VR and AR.
For now, we wouldn’t pin our hopes on seeing any of these next year, but it’s certainly possible that at least one will land. One thing that we would expect is that both Apple Glasses and the Apple VR headset will be very expensive, so if you’re hoping to buy either you might want to use this time to get saving.
