Report: Apple Cans Augmented Reality Glasses Project 

Apple reportedly canceled its augmented reality glasses project earlier this week, following “poor reviews with executives” and a changing lineup of features.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the now-shuttered project would have looked like normal eyeglasses, a contrast to the heavier Vision Pro, and would have included built-in displays and needed a connection to a Mac to work. The canceled Apple device would reportedly have looked broadly similar to Xreal’s One spectacles and Lenovo’s ThinkReality glasses.

News of the project—codenamed N107—was leaked in February 2024. It had allegedly been through several redesigns before getting the axe. Apple had originally intended for it to pair with the iPhone but, due to using too much battery power, decided to switch it to pairing it with a Mac.

Gurman says that the project planned to capitalize on visionOS, the Vision Pro’s operating system, which enables users to connect with a Mac and do computing tasks in mixed reality. The project had reportedly been internally seen as a “way forward” and an alternative to the pricey $3,499 Apple Vision Pro for consumers. But the latest development doesn’t mean that Apple has stopped working on alternatives to the Vision Pro.

As well as “updated versions of the original model,” Bloomberg reports that Apple is still developing products like AirPods with cameras, while the company still plans to bring a set of standalone AR glasses to market “someday.” Apple’s work on the underlying technology needed is also reportedly still ongoing. Bloomberg has reported that it is working on developing AR displays at its “secretive” base in Santa Clara, California.

Plenty of other tech firms are developing these types of augmented reality glasses, as the AR race heats up.

Meta showcased its prototype Orion glasses in September 2024—which would give consumers augmented reality functionality via its built-in processor—in the form of lightweight, easy-to-carry glasses. A consumer version of Orion eyeglasses is currently pegged for 2027, and reports have surfaced of Meta getting ready to add displays to the second generation of its Ray Ban smartglasses sometime in 2025.

Meanwhile, Google and Samsung announced Android XR at CES 2025 in December, a full platform and software ecosystem, designed to provide the bedrock for future VR headsets and smart glasses.

About Will McCurdy

Contributor

I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

Read Will’s full bio

Read the latest from Will McCurdy