Apple is about to create its own smart glasses – the Atlas project has been launched to study Meta and Snap smart glasses

Apple will explore prospects for entering the smart glasses market. For these purposes, the Atlas project has been launched, which involves collecting feedback from Apple employees on existing models of smart glasses. This will help Apple analyze the strengths and weaknesses of competitors’ devices and take them into account when developing its own product that can compete with devices from Meta✴ and other industry leaders.

Image Source: Apple

The Atlas project is led by the Product Systems Quality team, part of Apple’s engineering division. In an email sent to select employees at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, the team said testing and developing products that everyone can love is important to the company, which is why it is seeking participants to research smart glasses on the market.

Snap Spectacles AR glasses. Image source: spectacles.com

Organizing closed focus groups and internal testing is Apple’s traditional approach when preparing to create a new product category. Typically, a company relies on employees rather than customers to keep its plans private. For example, Apple recently conducted internal testing in September of an app for people with prediabetes that tracks their blood sugar levels and their diet.

Apple’s current initiative indicates its interest in creating its own device in the smart glasses category. It is known that the company has already considered the possibility of entering the wearable gadgets market, which could lead to competition with Meta✴ and its smart devices. However, the launch of Apple’s own smart glasses should not be expected in the coming years, since the development of such devices requires time, serious technical and engineering resources, as well as innovative solutions.

Ray-Ban Meta✴ smart glasses. Image source: ray-ban.com

The Atlas project is designed to help Apple identify features that could be key in the company’s future device, as well as explore possible use cases for it. Such research will help the company identify technologies and capabilities that would allow Apple to differentiate its device from competitors such as Meta✴ and Snap, and adapt it to different user scenarios.

In February, Apple introduced the $3,499 Vision Pro headset, which received high marks for its functionality in video viewing and work tasks. However, its high price and bulkiness make this device inaccessible to the mass consumer. For a long time, Apple sought to create a lightweight version of the headset with elements of augmented reality (AR), which would be suitable for everyday wear and could become an alternative to the iPhone. Apple is even considering an option where much of the computing will be done on the iPhone, which will reduce the weight of the headset and make it more comfortable. However, numerous technical difficulties slow down its development.

Snap Spectacles AR glasses. Image source: spectacles.com

Meta✴, on the contrary, relied on a more affordable option. In collaboration with Luxottica Group SpA, the company has created $299 Ray-Ban smart glasses that, although they do not support full augmented reality (AR), allow you to shoot video, take calls and access an AI assistant. This solution, despite its limited functionality, has become popular due to its simplicity and affordability.

Apple is considering creating smart glasses similar in concept to the AirPods, with an emphasis on battery life, improved sensors and advanced audio technology. This approach would allow us to offer users a convenient device with a long operating time, which could become a full-fledged element of their daily life and introduce new functions into it.

Ray-Ban Meta✴ smart glasses. Image source: ray-ban.com

However, Apple’s competitors are actively moving forward. Meta✴ and Snap recently unveiled prototypes of their augmented reality glasses that can overlay digital images, text messages and apps onto the real world. Although these devices are still in the development stage and are not expected to launch commercially for several years, companies are already recruiting developers to speed up the creation of apps and content for their future products.