Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality glasses will arrive next year, in 2022.
Apple has been rumored to be working on mixed reality glasses for some time. Unlike a strict virtual reality environment, mixed reality combines virtual reality or augmented reality with a person’s surroundings — hence the “mixed reality” moniker. CEO Tim Cook has made no secret of his belief that augmented and mixed reality offer a more social and productive experience than straight virtual reality, one that keeps people connected to the world and people around them.
Ming-Chi Kuo is one of the most respected Apple analysts, with a solid track record predicting the company’s next moves. According to a note seen by MacRumors, Kuo is expecting the mixed reality glasses in 2022.
Apple is certainly not the first company to tackle augmented reality glasses. Google famously introduced one of the first, and most high-profile, entrants in the market — Google Glass.
One of Apple’s greatest strengths, however, is taking a concept someone else has pioneered and refining it in a way that leads to mass adoption. The iPad is a perfect example, a far more refined and consumer-friendly tablet than Microsoft’s much earlier Tablet PC.
If the company can deliver on its vision (pun intended) for mixed reality glasses, Apple may have an all-new category of devices to help drive its growth.