For a while now, Meta has been one of the dominant companies in the smart glasses category. The appeal of their glasses may be due to their low-profile design, which makes them less conspicuous than previous smart glasses like the Google Glass.
Now, Meta is about to get some serious competition, with reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that Apple has started an initiative code-named "Atlas" which involves gathering feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses currently available on the market. Bloomberg reports that the project is top secret at Apple and the Cupertino giant plans to add more focus groups in the future.
Apple's Product Systems Quality team wrote an email to handpicked employees inviting them to come join their user study on the smart glasses available on the market. Whenever Apple is trying to enter a new market, It is tradition for Apple to create focus groups based on products from that market to understand what people like or dislike about the current market offerings. Apple does not like to rush things, so it might be a while before you see "Apple Glass" (or whatever they end up naming it) in stores near you.
Apple's $3000+ Vision Pro headset is a technological marvel, but since its launch in February, the project has failed to garner mass appeal. When the Vision Pro headset launched, early adopters acknowledged the premium feel of the device but complained of the weight, eye strain, and battery life.
Apple might want a share of the pie in the fast-growing smart-glasses category. Sure, these glasses might not pack as much tech as the Vision Pro, but one advantage they have is that they are lightweight and unlike the Vision Pro, you can wear them almost anywhere.
Apple is facing intense competition from rivals in this space—Meta and Snap Inc. Snap Inc. recently announced the fifth generation of Spectacles that they hope will compete with offerings from Meta and others.
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