Development on Augmented Reality 'Apple Glasses' Postponed Indefinitely

Apple has paused development on the augmented reality Apple Glasses that it planned to introduce after its mixed reality headset, reports Bloomberg. Work on the product has been postponed because of technical difficulties.

Apple Glasses Triad Feature
Rumors suggested that Apple wanted to develop a pair of lightweight augmented reality glasses that would be similar to the Google Glass smart glasses. The glasses would provide digital information overlaid on the real world rather than offering immersive virtual experiences like the AR/VR headset, but Apple has not been able to develop the necessary hardware to produce a lightweight wearable that has the power of an iPhone and enough battery life to run it.

Apple initially wanted to release the Apple Glasses in 2023 before delaying the project to 2025, but now the product's launch has been postponed "indefinitely." Apple has also scaled back work on the device, so Apple Glasses will not be launching in the foreseeable future, but Bloomberg says that Apple considers AR glasses to be a product that could one day replace the ‌iPhone‌.

According to Bloomberg, some Apple employees do not believe that Apple will ever ship AR glasses. Most of Apple's AR/VR group is working on the mixed reality headsets that Apple is planning to produce, but there are still some that are exploring technology for future AR glasses.

Rather than developing augmented reality glasses, Apple is now focused on creating a more affordable mixed reality headset that will appeal to a wider range of consumers. The first AR/VR headset that is set to launch this year will cost somewhere around $3,000, so Apple wants to provide similar capabilities at a cheaper price point in the future.

Details on all of the features included in the first mixed reality headset can be found in our AR/VR roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...
iOS 26

Apple This November: iOS 26.2 Beta, Rumored New Products, and More

Thursday October 30, 2025 12:42 pm PDT by
Tomorrow is Halloween, and then November is upon us. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple next month, as the slower holiday season approaches. Apple is expected to kick off November by releasing iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. With beta testing now wrapped up, the updates will likely be released this Monday, November 3 or Tuesday,...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Apple CEO Tim Cook Says Revamped Siri on Track to Launch Next Year

Thursday October 30, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook today said that a more personalized version of Siri remains on track to launch at some point next year, with the new set of features expected to debut on the iPhone as part of iOS 26.4 in March or April. "We're also excited for a more personalized Siri," said Cook, on Apple's earnings call for the third quarter of the 2025 calendar year. "We're making good progress on it,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...

Top Rated Comments

CaptMarvel Avatar
37 months ago
I’d rather AR glasses than a mixed reality headset, but that’s just me. Still excited to see a new wearable from Apple nonetheless.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
37 months ago
I can definitely see this taking off, not a burdensome, gigantic and comically looking headset.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anshuvorty Avatar
37 months ago
All I will say is that all of these "moonshot" projects have now failed, at least in our lifetimes, sad times:

* self-driving cars
* Google's much-hyped contact lenses for AR use
* AR glasses
* Google's Project Loon - remember that?
* Facebook's all-access internet
* Apple's Car project

These tech companies are slowly coming to the conclusion that there are mortal, just like everyone else, no matter how much your market cap is.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
37 months ago
I'm glad. Apple has split itself into too many directions as is, IMO. And it shows with the lack of quality in the software especially.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
37 months ago
A very cool project.

Google tried it with Google Glass in 2010. It failed miserably. I just don’t think the tech is out there yet. Far away from this turn into a reality.

[MEDIA=twitter]1612101683844096000[/MEDIA]
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
37 months ago
Well, “headset” is not the answer in the long run either…
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)