by AR porn glasses are coming soon, at least if the latest rumors doing the rounds in tech media are to be believed. Snapchat are supposedly readying a new pair of glasses that have true augmented reality functionality. The glasses could be revealed as early as May, although they are apparently more intended for developers than consumers. However, AR porn fans can still get excited because it should be noted that the first VR porn site (VirtualRealPorn) went online when the Oculus Rift was still a developer’s version.
The next-gen Spectacles will be able to layer Snapchat lenses (or AR effects) onto the surrounding environment without the need to use a smartphone’s camera, according to The Information. At least for now, these smart glasses reportedly aren’t intended for everyday users. They’re said to be geared towards developers and creators, the folks who make many of Snapchat’s most popular lenses. It seems Snap is hoping those people will create new lens-style experiences for the glasses, which it may release more broadly in the future. The company is set to announce the AR Spectacles at its developer conference in May, according to the report.
Perhaps even more exciting is the news that Apple could be set to reveal their ‘mixed reality’ headset within the next 3 months. Although their headset will be more virtual reality, than AR, it should have augmented reality features, and is seen as a predecessor to a pair of Apple AR glasses.
Bloomberg has previously reported that Apple’s first AR/VR headset will be a high-end, pricey, and “niche” device aimed at developers. Internally, Apple believes it could sell just one headset per day at its retail locations. If the expectation comes true, it will sell just around 180,000 units a year at its 500 stores.
Bloomberg has previously stated that Apple is aiming for a product launch as soon as next year. Given today’s new information, Apple may preannounce the headset to give developers time to prepare for the new VR experience. Apple made a similar move with its announcement of Apple Silicon for the Mac, in which it announced the transition at WWDC in June, months before it released the first Macs with its own chip in order to give developers time to prepare their apps.
It has been known that Apple, Snapchat, as well as other major tech companies such as Facebook and Samsung, are working on AR glasses, and indeed that they all agree that it is the next major computing platform. The only thing in doubt is the time-frame. However, the only confirmed release of a consumer pair of AR glasses remains the Nreal Lite AR glasses that are already on sale in South Korea and Japan, and should be available to consumers in the West at some point by this summer.
