Apple has initiated an internal study, code-named Atlas, to explore the smart glasses market, which is currently dominated by competitors like Meta. The study, which began last week, involves gathering feedback from Apple employees on existing smart glasses products, as reported by Bloomberg.
This is being led by Apple’s Product Systems Quality team, which is part of the hardware engineering division. Select employees at the company’s Cupertino headquarters were invited to participate in focus groups, with additional sessions planned for the near future. The company’s approach of using employees for these studies lets Apple keep secrecy around new product categories instead of relying on customer feedback.
This story shows that Apple is seriously considering developing its own smart glasses, although an actual product launch could still be years away. The research is likely to understand consumer preferences and identify features for an Apple-branded device.
Apple’s interest in smart glasses comes after the company faced challenges with its recently released Vision Pro headset, which has been criticized for its high price of $3500 and bulky design. Meta has found success with its more affordable Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Apple’s exact plans will remain unclear; the company might be working on a device that merges AirPods features with glasses.
The smart glasses market is set to hit $4.1 billion by 2030.