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Apple, Carl Zeiss Reportedly Working on Augmented Reality Glasses for 2017 Launch

Apple, Carl Zeiss Reportedly Working on Augmented Reality Glasses for 2017 Launch

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 10 January 2017 16:14 IST

Highlights

The digital glasses should be released this year
Apple has partnered with Carl Zeiss to make these glasses
These glasses will work on augmented reality

After Google's failed attempts, Apple is trying its hands on smart glasses. A fresh development claims that Apple is working with Carl Zeiss to make its first augmented reality glasses, and may look to release them as soon as this year.

This development comes from tech blogger Robert Scoble who says he found this out from a Zeiss employee. "Apple and Carl Zeiss AG are working on a light pair of augmented reality/ mixed reality glasses that may be announced this year. (I thought it was next year but now that I saw this I believe it will happen this year)," Scoble wrote in a Facebook post.

He goes further to say that because of these work-in-progress glasses, Zeiss did not display any mixed reality glasses at CES 2017, despite placing a booth in the augmented reality section. While all companies are betting big on virtual reality, CEO Tim Cook had earlier mentioned that Apple is focusing on AR instead, and is investing a lot in its research.

In November last year, Bloomberg reported that Apple was considering expanding into wearable glass headsets and has talked about the project with potential suppliers. Apple could have struck a deal with Zeiss, and a mixed reality wearable headset is now in the offing.

If this news is true, it will make Apple the latest tech company to venture into smart glasses. Google discontinued Google Glass and closed the social media account linked to the device earlier last year, ending its attempt to popularize the expensive devices with consumers.

Perhaps, the digital glasses segment needed a sophisticated ecosystem like Apple's for the essential push needed to revolutionise digital glasses. There's no word on how these glasses will look or operate, but the wearable headset is expected to show images, along with other information.

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