Bloomberg recently alleged that Apple is considering a digital glasses gadget for a possible release some time in 2018. In a Facebook post published Tuesday, well-known blogger Robert Scoble claims that the Cupertino firm has partnered with German lens specialist and optical instruments maker Carl Zeiss on the project, which should develop augmented reality optics for the digital glasses.
It’s unclear how reliable Scoble’s information is, but Apple is thought to have already talked about its glasses project with potential suppliers. Scoble claims that a Zeiss employee confirmed the partnership between Apple and Carl Zeiss in a quick interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada last week.
“A Zeiss employee confirmed the rumors that Apple and Carl Zeiss AG are working on a light pair of augmented reality/mixed reality glasses that may be announced this year. (I thought it was next year but now that I saw this I believe it will happen this year),” reads his post.
Unlike virtual reality products that completely immerse you in three-dimensional CGI-generated worlds, augmented reality headsets and glasses superimpose computer imagery on top of the real world.
As mentioned, Bloomberg’s November 2016 report stated that Apple’s smart digital glasses would connect wirelessly to an iPhone and project images and other information into the wearer’s field of vision. The Cupertino firm has reportedly ordered small quantities of near-eye displays from one supplier for testing, Bloomberg added.
“Augmented reality can be really great. We have been and continue to invest a lot in this. We’re high on augmented reality in the long run,” Apple’s boss Tim Cook said in July.
Would you be interested in Apple-made augmented reality glasses?
Source: Robert Scoble on Facebook