5 ms·

I can't even imagine what the AR device should look like so that it would be "cool" to wear casually. Should it try to look like normal eyewear or be distinctly

I can't even imagine what the AR device should look like so that it would be "cool" to wear casually. Should it try to look like normal eyewear or be distinctly different? How to cope with indoor vs outdoor use (regular vs sunglasses)? How to deal with the issues Google hit (taking pictures, others feeling uncertain if you are with them or reading emails). This also creates an opportunity for Apple. It's not just about the technology. You need to really figure out what customers will love and make the right decisions on what to include and what to leave out.

georgespencer 9y ago
The frame they're using is very similar in shape to the Snap spectacles. I expect them to have a more classic design treatment than Snap's bold colours. The frame design has little accents at the upper-left most and upper-right most aspect of the frame, as you look at them (where the arms connect) which is one of the very few ways you can imagine integrating the two cameras which will be required for depth perception without bulkily clipping them on.
synaesthesisx 9y ago
Precisely - it's a massive challenge they're undertaking. I think they'll omit cameras on such a device for this reason. Smart glasses have never been "cool", but keep in mind that prior to the iPhone smartphones were generally uncommon for average users - unless you were a geek (I used to use a Palm Treo/PDAs in HS). I think what they're aiming for will be something like the AirPods but intended to be worn all the time like Apple Watch. If AirPods were slightly smaller and had all-day battery life or wireless charging they could stay in your ears all day as a "wearable", like how many wear hearing aids today. AR Glasses would have to be lightweight and as un-intrusive as possible - they'd have to appeal not only to people who wear eyewear regularly but also to users who are not accustomed to doing so. Perhaps they'll incorporate a retinal projector like Magic Leap or some other novel tech...
- sangnoir 9y ago
  > I think they'll omit cameras on such a device for this reason How would they track objects in 3D without a camera? Accelerometers are not accurate enough to to overlay-type augmentation they demoed. Unless you mean that the user won't be able to record pictures/videos so they won't call it a camera.
  - thefalcon 9y ago
    Apple seems like the kind of company that would bother including cameras and then be able to stand behind a decision to lock users out of using them.
    - evan_ 9y ago
      well then that wouldn't save any space, would it?
      - thefalcon 9y ago
        I mean that they would disallow saving photos/videos for privacy reasons, and could stand behind their hardware being secure enough that people don't have to worry if they're still being secretly filmed by hacked iRis's or whatever.
- r00fus 9y ago
  I must admit I was turned off by Google Glass as a consumer product because I don't want to be "that guy" suspected of recording what really should be off-the-record. Still - an AR device without a camera?
  - synaesthesisx 9y ago
    AR devices rely on cameras for surface mapping - which could be accomplished with some sort of depth sensor (using infrared like the Kinect or otherwise).
    - jpalomaki 9y ago
      Not very much related, but you can also go wrong with IR. Something like 20 years ago Sony shipped night vision mode on camcorders. Turned out the functionality also allowed to see through clothes [1] which created a controversy. [1] https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=faf_1385072214 https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=faf_1385072214
- untog 9y ago
  Apple did definitely make the smartphone cool, but I'm dubious that they've made smartwatches cool. They're still very niche. I can see these glasses being the same, if not more so.
  - omarforgotpwd 9y ago
    I don't think it's a niche. I see a lot of people wearing them. It's not a success on the level of the iPhone, but nothing is. If Apple Watch was a separate company it would be listed on the fortune 500 (according to Tim Cook on last earnings call)
  - microtherion 9y ago
    That "niche" appears to have consisted of 21.1M watches in 2016, so roughly 80% the size of the Swiss watch industry (25.4M watches): http://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2067481/smartwatch-market-hits-record-211-million-sales-2016-apple-pulls-ahead-samsung http://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2067481/smartwatch-market-h...
hbosch 9y ago
The "Foxconn Insider" on Reddit claimed the original designs were using the P3 style frames[0] (in colors Clear, Champagne, and Black). In my humble opinion, this is a savvy choice – while maybe not as "iconic" as your average Wayfarer-style glasses, the P3 style speaks to many demographics. They are quite in style these days. The same leaker said there were also plans to release new styles seasonally (presumably in order to stay in style) – which begs the question: would the projection apparatus be modular? FWIW the "leaker" claimed the project was postponed indefinitely due to battery manufacturing feasibilities. 0. http://www.bensilver.com/The-P3-Shape.html http://www.bensilver.com/The-P3-Shape.html
- nerfhammer 9y ago
  P3 = Snap Spectacles, also?
  - bredren 9y ago
    Sure looks like it.

georgespencer 9y ago

The frame they're using is very similar in shape to the Snap spectacles. I expect them to have a more classic design treatment than Snap's bold colours. The frame design has little accents at the upper-left most and upper-right most aspect of the frame, as you look at them (where the arms connect) which is one of the very few ways you can imagine integrating the two cameras which will be required for depth perception without bulkily clipping them on.

synaesthesisx 9y ago

Precisely - it's a massive challenge they're undertaking. I think they'll omit cameras on such a device for this reason. Smart glasses have never been "cool", but keep in mind that prior to the iPhone smartphones were generally uncommon for average users - unless you were a geek (I used to use a Palm Treo/PDAs in HS). I think what they're aiming for will be something like the AirPods but intended to be worn all the time like Apple Watch. If AirPods were slightly smaller and had all-day battery life or wireless charging they could stay in your ears all day as a "wearable", like how many wear hearing aids today. AR Glasses would have to be lightweight and as un-intrusive as possible - they'd have to appeal not only to people who wear eyewear regularly but also to users who are not accustomed to doing so. Perhaps they'll incorporate a retinal projector like Magic Leap or some other novel tech...

sangnoir 9y ago
> I think they'll omit cameras on such a device for this reason How would they track objects in 3D without a camera? Accelerometers are not accurate enough to to overlay-type augmentation they demoed. Unless you mean that the user won't be able to record pictures/videos so they won't call it a camera.
- thefalcon 9y ago
  Apple seems like the kind of company that would bother including cameras and then be able to stand behind a decision to lock users out of using them.
  - evan_ 9y ago
    well then that wouldn't save any space, would it?
    - thefalcon 9y ago
      I mean that they would disallow saving photos/videos for privacy reasons, and could stand behind their hardware being secure enough that people don't have to worry if they're still being secretly filmed by hacked iRis's or whatever.
r00fus 9y ago
I must admit I was turned off by Google Glass as a consumer product because I don't want to be "that guy" suspected of recording what really should be off-the-record. Still - an AR device without a camera?
- synaesthesisx 9y ago
  AR devices rely on cameras for surface mapping - which could be accomplished with some sort of depth sensor (using infrared like the Kinect or otherwise).
  - jpalomaki 9y ago
    Not very much related, but you can also go wrong with IR. Something like 20 years ago Sony shipped night vision mode on camcorders. Turned out the functionality also allowed to see through clothes [1] which created a controversy. [1] https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=faf_1385072214 https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=faf_1385072214
untog 9y ago
Apple did definitely make the smartphone cool, but I'm dubious that they've made smartwatches cool. They're still very niche. I can see these glasses being the same, if not more so.
- omarforgotpwd 9y ago
  I don't think it's a niche. I see a lot of people wearing them. It's not a success on the level of the iPhone, but nothing is. If Apple Watch was a separate company it would be listed on the fortune 500 (according to Tim Cook on last earnings call)
- microtherion 9y ago
  That "niche" appears to have consisted of 21.1M watches in 2016, so roughly 80% the size of the Swiss watch industry (25.4M watches): http://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2067481/smartwatch-market-hits-record-211-million-sales-2016-apple-pulls-ahead-samsung http://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2067481/smartwatch-market-h...

hbosch 9y ago

The "Foxconn Insider" on Reddit claimed the original designs were using the P3 style frames[0] (in colors Clear, Champagne, and Black). In my humble opinion, this is a savvy choice – while maybe not as "iconic" as your average Wayfarer-style glasses, the P3 style speaks to many demographics. They are quite in style these days. The same leaker said there were also plans to release new styles seasonally (presumably in order to stay in style) – which begs the question: would the projection apparatus be modular? FWIW the "leaker" claimed the project was postponed indefinitely due to battery manufacturing feasibilities. 0. http://www.bensilver.com/The-P3-Shape.html http://www.bensilver.com/The-P3-Shape.html

nerfhammer 9y ago
P3 = Snap Spectacles, also?
- bredren 9y ago
  Sure looks like it.