Apple is working on a set of smart glasses similar to Snapchat’s newly launched Spectacles, according to news reports.
Bloomberg cites “sources familiar with Apple’s plans” as saying that the smart glasses would connect wirelessly to the iPhone, much like the Apple Watch, and would display “images and other information” to the wearer.
According to the report, Apple has contacted potential suppliers about its glasses project and has ordered “small quantities” of near-eye displays, suggesting the project is in the exploratory prototyping phase of development.
If work on the glasses progresses, they could be released in 2018, Bloomberg said, quoting the sources.
Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is under pressure to deliver new products following slowing sales of the iPhone, which accounts for two-thirds of Apple’s revenue.
Apple’s glasses sound similar to Google Glass, the head-mounted display that Google first introduced in 2013. Google Glass used augmented reality and voice commands to allow users to do things like check the weather, make phone calls, and capture photographs. Apple’s product could be similar in functionality.
The news follows Snapchat’s Spectacles sunglasses going on sale over the weekend for a limited number of customers in the US.
The $130 augmented reality glasses work with both Android and iOS devices records 10-second video clips that can be uploaded into Snapchat story.