Apple's Augmented Reality Glasses Tipped To Still Be Years From Launch

We've been hearing rumors about a pair of Apple smart glasses, ones that will potentially revolve around augmented reality, for years. The company has made it clear that it is interested in augmented reality, something increasingly facilitated by its high-end iPad models and detailed in a number of patents. According to a new report, we still may be years away from the launch of this fabled product.

Known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a new note that Apple will likely launch a pair of "computerized glasses" that are referred to as Apple Glasses no sooner than 2022. These smart glasses may feature expensive laminated lenses, according to the report, with the capability of overlaying digital content over the real world.

The analyst's note indicates that the lenses will feature multiple layers of laminations to make the mixed reality and augmented reality experiences possible. There's no word on how much consumers can expect to spend for the smart glasses, however, assuming they're actually brought to market.

Many questions remain, of course. It is possible that even if Apple were to introduce a pair of smart glasses in 2022, it may not actually launch the product for consumers until a later date. The date is later than previous rumors we've heard — back in 2018, for example, sources had claimed that Apple would introduce the product in 2020, which the latest note dismisses.

Apple has indicated that it plans to embrace augmented reality a big way, though experiences at this point are largely limited to fun iPad games that overlay things like RC cars in your real-life living room. Smart glasses featuring an MR or AR experience could be more useful, including things like overlaying navigation information over roads, presenting educational information for nearby objects, and more.