Apple's much awaited AR glasses delayed

You're reading The Vital Component, a breakdown of the week's engineering news delivered to your inbox. I’m Loukia, an editor at IE. Let's dive in.

This week we’re talking about a giant kite that helps sail a 21,528-ton ship in the Atlantic Ocean, Lockheed Martin building an AI-powered digital twin of Earth’s atmosphere, Dubai to get the world's first 3D-printed mosque by 2025, researchers making virus-killing clothing for firefighters and soldiers and a NASA nuclear propulsion concept that could reach Mars in just 45 days.

But first let's explore Apple Inc.'s much-awaited augmented reality (AR) glasses. The tech has been delayed significantly as a result of technical challenges.

The company, which is due to release a mixed-reality headset this year, is likely to follow it up with a low-cost version of the same technology in 2024 or later.

Why does it matter?

Unlike VR experiences that are completely immersive and cut the user off from the real world, AR allows digital objects to be overlaid in the real world, letting the user keep them on throughout their day. Google had previously attempted this through its Glass project, which did not take off, and Apple is learning the technological challenges involved the hard way.

With a mixed-reality headset that combines VR and AR on its way, Apple was looking at the AR Glasses as the product that would eventually replace its iPhone. The AR Glasses could be used by the user for navigation, answering phone calls, snapping photos, and much more. The company has been struggling to keep a high growth rate for its sales over the past few years and was looking for a boost by introducing a revolutionary product.

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