Apple’s 'AR Glasses' Might Become a Reality

Watch out, Meta

Author

Brandon Butch
October 18, 2024 • 📖 Read time: 9 minutes

Welcome back!🍎
Here’s the latest with Apple.

  • Apple announces surprise iPad mini refresh

  • Apple’s big plans for AR glasses

  • & more!

📊 Poll

Last week, we asked: Do you think Apple should release new iPhones every year?

Here were my favorite replies:

Yes - “Automakers release new models annually, but redesigned models come less frequently. Same goes for major appliances. Televisions. Computers. Most products, actually. This is what consumers want and what Wall Street demands. And like those other products, smartphones are not designed and manufactured to be purchased annually. What fool replaces a refrigerator, television and car EVERY a year? That’s what smartphones are now. Sorry, but while tech addicts like us buy new iPhones every year, that’s not how the majority of consumers behave. Apple sold 231 million iPhones in 2023. A longer release cycle will only harm Apple and consumers.”

No - “The annual release cycle is not necessary any longer as the hardware is only incrementally changing. Software is much more impactful and Apple should continue to be aggressive about software updates and improvements.”

This week: Would you buy Apple’s AR glasses (if they were under $1000)? Why or why not? More on this later.

Would you buy Apple's AR Glasses?

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🗞️ The Latest

😮‍💨 The New iPad mini

Apple

Apple just announced a new iPad mini! This is the first upgrade to the device since 2021. Here’s what you need to know.

  • The new iPad mini has the same 8.3” Liquid Retina display as before. However, it’s unknown if it fixes the jelly scroll issue.

  • It’s powered by the A17 Pro chip and supports Apple Intelligence, indicating it likely has 8GB of RAM.

  • It supports the Apple Pencil Pro & the USB-C model. The Apple Pencil 2 is not supported.

  • The new iPad mini starts at $499 for 128GB (no more 64GB!) and releases on October 23rd.

Not as Minor as it Seems

Apple

The reaction to this new iPad mini was more negative than I expected. And most were disappointed because it didn’t have a 120hz refresh rate or an OLED screen.

Neither of those 2 features were ever expected or rumored and I don’t believe they’ll ever happen. That’s why the iPad Pro and Air exist. The main selling point for the mini is the portable size. Everything else is a bonus.

So here’s why this 7th gen model is a solid upgrade over the iPad mini 6.

  • Double the base storage (64GB vs 128GB) with the same starting price.

  • Compared to the previous-gen’s A15 chip (5nm), the A17 Pro (3nm) is much faster and more efficient: 30% faster CPU, 25% faster GPU, and 2x faster neural engine (NPU).

  • Whether you love it or not, Apple Intelligence is the future of Apple software. And although it might not be the best yet, there likely won’t be another new iPad mini for 3+ years, so having support for AI will be big as time goes on.

  • Apple Pencil Pro support is a big one since it has numerous additional features that weren’t available on the last gen mini. Those include Barrel Roll, Squeeze, Haptic Feedback, Find My support, hover, and more.

  • Connectivity will also be improved, as it now supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

  • The USB-C port has been upgraded to support data transfer speeds of 10 Gbps, double the 5Gbps limit on the iPad mini 6.

  • The cellular models of the iPad mini no longer have a nano-SIM card slot, they are eSIM only.

My take: I, like most others, was not expecting an OLED display or 120hz, so this is a very solid upgrade for the iPad mini! I think many previous-gen iPad mini users will be upgrading, especially if we get confirmation that the “jelly scroll” issue has been resolved.

🍎 Not So Fast, Meta

MacRumors

Meta made headlines a few weeks ago after showing off its Orion AR glasses and the Meta Quest 3S headset. But Apple is planning to launch competing products within the next few years.

  • Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is reporting that Apple could launch smart AR glasses around 2027. No additional details were shared.

  • These might be a direct competitor to the (awesome) Meta Ray-Bans, which have been a hit amongst average consumers.

  • Along with the AR glasses, Apple could launch AirPods with cameras.

  • These devices will be able to analyze their surroundings and provide relevant information to users, similar to what we’ll be seeing with Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 16 series later this year.

  • Along with the AR glasses and AirPods, Apple is planning a lower-cost version of the Vision Pro headset - maybe called “Vision” or “Vision Air.”

  • This headset will be priced around $2,000 and could be released as early as next year.

  • Meanwhile, the 2nd generation Vision Pro is expected in 2026. This will get an upgraded chip and other hardware changes.

My take: As an avid Meta Ray-Bans user, the only feature I ever felt was missing is a screen on the inside of the glasses lens. If Apple can do that and ship it within the next 2-3 years, it’ll be significantly more successful than the Vision Pro headset. Although, it’ll be hard to compete with Meta at first, given their multi-year head start, the Ray-Ban partnership, and the likelihood that they’ll be much cheaper.

As for the cheaper Vision Pro headset, I feel that $2,000 is also too expensive for average consumers. I believe Apple needs to get this down in the $1000-1500 range before they see any major success - and they know this. Apple never expected the Vision Pro to be the next iPhone or iPad. It’s all about setting the stage for future generations of the headset. It’ll get there with time.

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