Apple CEO Tim Cook is far from giving up on virtual and augmented reality headsets, a gadget category that has been rife with setbacks and risky bets that didn't pan out.
As Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported over the weekend, the tech giant is getting ready to launch not one, but two updated versions of its Vision Pro, a $3,499 mixed-reality headset that has seen sluggish sales and even given wearers black eyes.
That's despite rumors circulating last summer that Apple had given up on a follow-up device of the uber-expensive gadget.
In fact, Cook is so convinced of the segment that he's looking to beat Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg — who shares an obsession with AR and VR headsets — to market. According to Bloomberg, Cook wants to create a pair of AR glasses that buyers can wear all day.
"Tim cares about nothing else," an insider with knowledge of the matter told Gurman. "It’s the only thing he’s really spending his time on from a product development standpoint."
But given the segment's well-documented challenges in wooing a mainstream market, that could be far easier said than done. We've seen numerous products fail to live up to the hype, particularly in the VR space.
As far as wearable smart glasses are concerned, Meta has some experience. Its Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, which feature bone-conducting earphones, a camera, and a microphone, have proven surprisingly popular.
However, to call them augmented reality glasses would be an overstatement, as they can't overlay data or other info over the wearer's vision.
Earlier this month, Gurman reported that Meta is looking to follow up its glasses with a $1,000-plus deluxe version, which includes a screen for displaying photos and apps. But details are still pretty sparse and the company has yet to announce a release date.
Whether Apple can swoop in and release a lighter and cheaper pair of AR glasses remains to be seen. Even coming up with a successor to its much beefier and unwieldy Vision Pro headset could prove challenging. According to Bloomberg, the goal is to greatly reduce both weight and price, which is an appreciable challenge, especially considering the possibility of escalating tariffs on Chinese imports.
To make the jump to a light accessory that has the same form factor as a pair of sunglasses is substantial. As a stepping stone, Apple is reportedly looking to attach a camera to its Apple Watch and AirPods, an admittedly awkward answer to Meta's Ray-Ban glasses.
In short, where Cook's obsession with beating Zuckerberg to the punch will leave Apple's foray into the glasses space is anyone's guess — though if there's one thing we know about Apple, it's that the company hates to lose.
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Tim Cook Has a Strange Obsession
