Apple cancels Mac-connected augmented reality glasses project

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Apple Inc. has canceled a project to build advanced augmented reality glasses that would pair with its devices, marking the latest setback in its effort to create a headset that appeals to typical consumers.

The company shuttered the program this week, according to people with knowledge of the move. The now-canceled product would have looked like normal glasses but include built-in displays and require a connection to a Mac, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the work wasn't public. An Apple representative declined to comment. 

The project had been seen as a potential way forward after the weak introduction of the Apple Vision Pro, a $3,499 model that was too cumbersome and pricey to catch on with consumers. The hope was to produce something that everyday users could embrace, but finding the right technology — at the right cost — has proven to be a challenge.

Apple risks losing ground to Meta Platforms Inc., which already sells a popular set of Ray-Ban smart glasses. Meta is working to create a version that adds augmented reality — the superimposing of images and data on real-world views — and expects to have a product ready by 2027. That's when Apple had previously intended to sell its device-connected glasses, which were code-named N107. 

The decision to wind down work on the N107 product followed an attempt to revamp the design, according to the people. The company had initially wanted the glasses to pair with an iPhone, but it ran into problems over how much processing power the handset could provide. It also affected the iPhone's battery life. So the company shifted to an approach that required linking up with a Mac computer, which has faster processors and bigger batteries.

But the Mac-connected product performed poorly during reviews with executives, and the desired features continued to change. Members of Apple's Vision Products Group, which worked on the device, grew increasingly concerned that the project was on the rocks. Sure enough, the