Apple's Internal Survey About Smart Glasses Hints at Future Product Plans

[MacRumors]

Apple is surveying its employees about smart glasses as it continues to consider releasing its own version of Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple has launched an internal study of products that are on the market, and is currently gathering feedback from Apple employees.

In an email sent out to employees, Apple's Product Systems Quality team called for participants for "an upcoming user study with current market smart glasses." According to Gurman, it is common for Apple to use focus groups when it is deciding on whether to enter a new market. Using employees for the focus groups allows Apple to keep its plans secret, something that wouldn't be possible with recruiting the public.

While a product is several years away, Apple is mulling making smart glasses that are similar to the Meta Ray-Bans. Meta's glasses have a camera and integrated AI so that users can ask questions about what's around them.

Apple could potentially design a simple set of glasses with a camera, Siri integration, and built-in speakers for listening to music, plus there could be included health capabilities. The glasses would essentially be an upgraded version of the AirPods with additional capabilities.

Smart glasses that integrate just a camera, speakers, and AI would be easy for Apple to produce, and it could be a way to boost wearable profits while work continues on augmented reality glasses. Apple has not been able to make AR glasses due to high costs and technical limitations that the company has not yet been able to overcome.

Gathering feedback from employees about Meta's glasses and other similar devices could provide Apple with valuable information on what features customers prefer.

Article Link: Apple's Internal Survey About Smart Glasses Hints at Future Product Plans

 

[Will Co]

Yes please. An Apple level of privacy with some assistive vision features. Hell, yes.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Coming in 15 years at $7999

 

[2540497]

No need to waste time and money on focus groups as I can tell you right now:

NO mass market.
Product will die faster than the useless Vision Pro.

You’re welcome.

 

[hieranonymous]

Apple should already have had something like this in the pipeline—something that could have been a natural extension of the AirPods line. I own a pair of the Meta Ray-Bans and they're a legitimately nice piece of technology: normal-looking, low learning curve, not clunky at all. I'm a bit shocked they're a Meta product given how unobtrusive they are.

A surprising number of non-techie people I know also own pairs and genuinely like them. The audio quality is good, the cameras are okay, and you can disable the AI nonsense.

 

[JoeShades]

What are good glasses to pair with an Iphone?

 

[jz0309]

Using employees for the focus groups allows Apple to keep its plans secret, something that wouldn't be possible with recruiting the public.

if those plans were secret - why are we reading about them here?
maybe this info is several years old and now Apple is feeding Gurman???

 

[boss.king]

No need to waste time and money on focus groups as I can tell you right now:

NO mass market.
Product will die faster than the useless Vision Pro.

You’re welcome.

I suspect that glasses would actually do a lot better than the Vision Pro (pricing and features pending of course). The Meta glasses are doing fairly well, and glasses are a thing people already wear. The barrier to the Vision Pro (other than the enormous price tag) is the awkwardness and invasiveness of strapping electric ski googles to your face and blocking out the world. It's awkward and foreign and, frankly, looks really stupid.

Assuming they can get close to the size and weight of even a large pair of glasses, these could potentially go unnoticed to people who don't know what to look for.

 

[jz0309]

What are good glasses to pair with an Iphone?

2 slabs, definitely not round ones

 

[sunny5]

AR glasses are also not great because of how it works and how we use.

There are already AR glasses but they have many issues. FOV is one of the problem which is much narrower than pass through method.

But the most important issue is you will be distracted by AR while using an AR glasses which put you in danger while using and walking. Unless it works only if you stop moving, I dont think it's a good idea and it already contradicts the AR purpose which supposed to interact with the real environment.

 

[boss.king]

AR glasses are also not great because of how it works and how we use.

There are already AR glasses but they have many issues. FOV is one of the problem which is much narrower than pass through method.

But the most important issue is you will be distracted by AR while using an AR glasses which put you in danger while using and walking. Unless it works only if you stop moving, I dont think it's a good idea and it already contradicts the AR purpose which supposed to interact with the real environment.

People literally hold their phones in front of their face while walking, I doubt the type of AR achieved by glasses is going to be anywhere close to that level of a distraction.

 

[Dulcimer]

It’s going to suck when these things become mainstream. Imagine how much more insufferable people will be with constant tech and cameras discreetly recording all the time from their face. At least today with smartphones you have to impose by holding a phone up.

 

[gk_brown]

Will this work with prescription lenses? If not, it will be useless for many people, and potentially uninteresting to the rest who don't regularly wear glasses.

 

[dannyyankou]

AR glasses are also not great because of how it works and how we use.

There are already AR glasses but they have many issues. FOV is one of the problem which is much narrower than pass through method.

But the most important issue is you will be distracted by AR while using an AR glasses which put you in danger while using and walking. Unless it works only if you stop moving, I dont think it's a good idea and it already contradicts the AR purpose which supposed to interact with the real environment.

Well good thing the article isn’t talking about AR glasses.

 

[Greenmeenie]

This makes more sense to me than the huge heavy & expensive Vision Pro goggles 🥽. More of a fashion wearable accessory like the Apple Watch.

 

[Digital Dude]

Coming in 15 years at $7999

Exactly, and they’ll probably end up canceling the project by year 14. ✌️

 

[dannyyankou]

It’s going to suck when these things become mainstream. Imagine how much more insufferable people will be with constant tech and cameras discreetly recording all the time from their face. At least today with smartphones you have to impose by holding a phone up.

If it’s only voice activated, “Hey Siri, record a video” is less discreet than stealthily pressing a button on your phone IMO.

 

[DrJR]

AR is where they should have started. Much more useful IMO

 

[ellpee]

More nonsense from Bloomberg presented here as if it’s a scoop. Right, Apple is letting its employees in on future product plans and making decisions based on their feedback. Go to an Apple Store, ask one of the staff what they think of smart glasses and voila you’ve got an article that this site will drive traffic to.

 

[novagamer]

Apple should already have had something like this in the pipeline

100%, I am shocked that this leaked because it’s a huge admission of not anticipating the market. It raises a very important question about Vision Pro – if AR glasses weren’t the end game, what was?

 

[Allen_Wentz]

There is more to the world than pure consumerism. Glasses with an iPhone-Pro level of camera competence would be hella useful in all kinds of occupations. And could BT pair with the apps and mass storage of iPhones and iPads. I would buy a $1k pair in a heartbeat.

 

[sunny5]

People literally hold their phones in front of their face while walking, I doubt the type of AR achieved by glasses is going to be anywhere close to that level of a distraction.

At least phone is not blocking the vision while AR glasses do. A huge difference.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

No need to waste time and money on focus groups as I can tell you right now:

NO mass market.
Product will die faster than the useless Vision Pro.

You’re welcome.

Sorry to disappoint you, but there is more to the world than pure consumerism "mass market." AVP IMO is a big success as exactly the kind of tech experimentation that an entity like Apple should be doing, even if $ sales volume had not been as good as it has been.

Similarly, glasses with an iPhone-Pro level of camera competence would be hella useful in all kinds of real work paired with the apps and mass storage of iPhones and iPads. I would buy a $1k pair in a heartbeat.

 

[NYCValkyrie]

No need to waste time and money on focus groups as I can tell you right now:

NO mass market.
Product will die faster than the useless Vision Pro.

You’re welcome.

Do I want to Vision Pro? No. it's too big & cumbersome for real use. But it was never meant to be purchased by a large market.

Do I want the Vision Pro technology if a much smaller physical form like glasses? Absolutely yes. To each their own but this is where tech is going eventually. It's going to take time to get this right, by any of the companies out there and will likely take the acquisition of smaller companies, their tech and integrating it with the Big Tech's company.

 

[bushman4]

Unfortunately Apple has fallen years behind in its development of products. This is evident in its foldable iPhone, Apple glasses etc
Hopefully Apple make up the time that it’s lost