Apple AR Glasses: A Glimpse into the Future of Wearable Tech
Apple’s AR Glasses have been shrouded in mystery, leaving tech enthusiasts eager to get their hands on this innovative piece of wearable technology. If you’re not familiar with the concept, these AR Glasses are designed to be a smart replacement for traditional eyewear, offering features like displaying map directions, your calendar, and more directly through the lenses, eliminating the need to constantly glance at your smartphone. The potential of Apple AR Glasses is enormous, and if successfully developed, they could redefine the world of smart eyewear.
Initially, there were high hopes that Apple might officially unveil these groundbreaking glasses at a 2020 Apple Event. However, as of now, we’re still left with nothing but Apple Glass rumors and speculation. The anticipation for Apple’s next big innovation continued to grow until earlier this year, when a reputable Apple analyst hinted at a possible release date of 2026 or 2027.
Fast forward to the present, and we find ourselves examining a recently granted patent from Apple that sheds some light on the potential future of AR Glasses. This patent introduces Digital Crown controls for Apple’s prospective AR Glasses, controls that bear a striking resemblance to those found on the Apple Watch. Let’s delve into the details of this patent and what it could signify for the Apple Glass’s future.
Deciphering the Apple Glass Patent
Every time Apple files or secures a new patent, it offers a glimpse into the company’s innovative thinking and potential product directions. While the existence of a patent doesn’t guarantee that a specific product or feature will see the light of day, it does reveal that Apple is actively exploring ideas that could eventually materialize into real-world products.
The recently granted patent covers a wide array of control methods for Apple’s head-mounted devices, with some of the patent’s illustrations, such as Figures 8A and 8B, clearly resembling what we would envision as Apple Glasses. In fact, the patent itself refers to them as “smart glasses.”
In Figure 8A, the label “850” points to the smart glasses, while “860” denotes the frame, and “854” represents the user interface. The patent explicitly mentions, “FIG. 8A shows a side view of an action of an HMD [head-mounted device]. Again, as used herein, the term HMD can involve smart glasses.”
Taking inspiration from the Apple Watch, the patent indicates that an “input device” marked as “820” could offer a user experience similar to the Digital Crown input device on the Apple Watch. This suggests that controlling future Apple Glasses might feel strikingly similar to operating the beloved Apple Watch.
Interestingly, Apple recently introduced a Digital Crown button design borrowed from the Apple Watch for its newly announced Vision Pro headset. This fact makes it highly plausible that this technology could seamlessly transition to Apple Glasses as well.
Moving to Figure 8B, we see an extension of the previous figure, providing a glimpse of what the user interface on smart glasses might look like. “803” represents the user interface as a whole, while “805” points to app icons reminiscent of those found on smartphones or smartwatches.
The patent mentions that user input through the input device (“820”) could trigger applications to move or change, utilizing actions like “a swipe, a rotation, a tilt, or combinations thereof,” much like the gestures familiar to Apple Watch users. What sets Apple’s potential smart glasses apart is the prospect of a secondary input method, possibly facilitated by a gaze-tracking camera (“858”), detecting when a user gazes at a specific icon (“813”).
To reiterate, while Apple’s patents provide a tantalizing glimpse into their exploratory efforts, they do not guarantee the actualization of a product or feature. However, this patent revelation fuels our optimism that Apple continues to actively develop its AR Glasses. For the most up-to-date information on Apple Glass, be sure to explore the latest Apple Glass rumors.
In conclusion, Apple’s AR Glasses remain an enigmatic but intriguing prospect. The introduction of Digital Crown controls, reminiscent of the Apple Watch, hints at the company’s dedication to pioneering wearable technology that could reshape our digital experiences. As the tech giant continues to innovate, we eagerly await further developments in this exciting venture.
