[ad_1]
If you’ve been looking forward to Apple releasing a pair of augmented reality glasses, you’d better get up a chair and prepare to chill your heels a bit more. One of Apple’s top analysts has just predicted that Apple Glasses, reportedly under development within the Cupertino Walls, will not be ready to ship until 2022 “at the earliest.”
But in the same research note that predicts a long wait for Apple Glasses, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also says that he can mark his calendars for some new iPads. The analyst expects Apple to launch a new 10.8-inch iPad later this year, with an 8.5- to 9-inch iPad mini in the first half of 2021.
It is worth paying attention to Kuo’s forecast, which appeared in a research note seen by 9to5Mac. The analyst has developed a fairly strong reputation for forecasting product launches for the notoriously closed Apple by cultivating sources within the company’s much more communicative supply chain. In January, Kuo predicted the launch of a revamped iPhone SE, a new iPad Pro, and updates for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air during the first half of 2020. All of those launches have taken place in recent months.
Given Kuo’s track record, then, the news that Apple Glasses will not be ready for at least a year and a half will surely disappoint people in the hope that Apple is ready to make big moves in augmented reality. Apple Glasses, once rumored to be arriving sometime this year, are expected to work with Apple’s iPhone to present information before their eyes.
A steady pace of acquisitions from specialized AR and VR companies has fueled speculation about Apple’s plans to produce an AR accessory. The last purchase occurred yesterday (May 14), the same day Kuo released his forecast for the launch of Apple Glasses in 2022 or later, when it became known that Apple had purchased NextVR.
NextVR specialized in displaying sports events in virtual reality, such as soccer, basketball and boxing, among other events. As of last night, the company’s website promised a “new address” for NextVR.
That direction could become apparent long before Apple Glasses becomes reality. Apple CEO Tim Cook has long been an advocate for AR, and the iPhone 12 arriving this fall is expected to include a LiDAR sensor in some models that could work with new AR-focused apps. We would look forward to hearing more about Apple’s AR plans at this year’s World Developer Conference, which will take place online starting June 22.
As for iPads, Kuo expects the 10.8-inch iPad and later iPad mini models to take a page out of the iPhone SE 2020 book with fast processors and low prices. The current editions of the iPad and iPad mini work with the A10 Fusion and A12 Bionic chips, respectively. Apple iPad Pro tablets feature a Bionic A12Z chip. Kuo’s forecast would see excluding those models with a fingerprint sensor embedded below the screen, as is rumored for some future Apple tablets.
Apple’s current iPad mini features a 7.9-inch screen, so Kuo’s forecast for a larger screen could suggest that Apple is looking to cut down the bezels on its compact tablet. The current iPad comes with a 10.2-inch screen, so a 10.8-inch model can also mean smaller bezels.
