Glasses with Mac connection: Apple project N107 apparently failed
The Vision Pro is to be followed by real computer glasses. After iPhone pairing ideas, Apple is now also said to have rejected a project with a Mac connection.
Symbolic image of Apple glasses: "Real" glasses as hope.
(Image: Erstellt durch Mac & i mit Midjourney)
When will Apple's first "real" computer glasses be released? The company is said to have several internal research projects underway. However, these do not seem to be making any progress. One of them, a pair of augmented reality glasses whose computing power was to come from a connected Mac, has now been discontinued according to a report. Apple wants to continue working on a stand-alone device instead – but this could still take years.
First iPhone, then Mac
The information about N107, as the project was codenamed, was leaked to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. Similar to Meta's "Project Orion", augmented reality technology is to be miniaturized as in the Vision Pro. This should solve the problem of the unwieldy form factor. However, Apple has not yet succeeded in integrating sufficiently powerful computing technology into a pair of glasses alongside the high-quality display.
For this reason, the initial plan was to couple a pair of computer glasses with an iPhone in order to use its fast Apple Silicon chips. However, Apple is said to have reached its technical limits in terms of performance and had problems with running out of battery. For this reason, N107 is said to have switched to a Mac connection. But there were difficulties here too. During demonstrations with Apple management, the prototype is said to have performed poorly. As a result, the Vision Products Group (VPG) responsible was already worried that the project could be discontinued. A decision to this effect is now said to have been made last week.
No more EyeSight
Internally at Apple, there is said to be criticism of the direction of the VPG, which allegedly lacks a clear direction within the team. It is led by Mike Rockwell and ultimately hardware boss John Ternus. N107 was only the last failed attempt to make the headset technology successful, which reduced morale in the team. Apple is still working on a second version of the Vision Pro, including an update of the current model. Later, real computer glasses are to be released as a stand-alone device. Most recently, a prominent member of the VPG moved to Apple's AI department to advance Apple Intelligence.
N107 is said to have already had important elements of real AR glasses, including advanced projectors that could send data into the field of vision of the eyes, similar to what is known from "Project Orion" at Meta, which has already been demonstrated to journalists, but is said to cost 10,000 US dollars per unit in prototype form. Among other things, Apple has developed its own microLED screens. The AR glasses will run visionOS. The prototypes of N107 are said to have been so light that no head straps would have been necessary. The EyeSight technology with an external display is said to no longer be available, but the prototype can allegedly change the color of the lenses to display different modes to the outside world. A project called N109, which is said to be a more cost-effective version of the Vision Pro, is currently underway. N107 was inspired in particular by the Apple Watch, which also works in combination with an iPhone.
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