Working through four different frame styles, the options range from a large rectangular shape to a slimmer version, similar to the glasses often worn by Tim Cook. There are also two rounded options, one larger, one smaller.

Apple is equally trying out colours including black, ocean blue and light brown, hence, the design is not final. Apple could choose one style or release more than one, depending on how testing goes.

These glasses will not include a display. Instead, Apple is focusing on simple, everyday functions. Users will be able to take photos and videos, answer calls, listen to music and speak to Siri. The cameras are expected to use oval-shaped lenses.

Apple had earlier explored more advanced mixed reality devices, but those plans have not moved smoothly. Its headset, the Apple Vision Pro, drew attention at launch but couldn’t gain wide use, partly due to its high price and size.

Now, Apple appears to be taking a more practical route. These glasses are lighter and easier to wear in daily life. The idea is to build something people will actually use, rather than something ambitious but difficult to adopt.

Competition is already building as Meta Platforms has partnered with EssilorLuxottica to produce Ray-Ban smart glasses, which are already on sale and have gained some traction. 

Other companies are not standing still, with Google and Samsung Electronics working together on their own glasses, while Snap Inc. plans to release a new version of its Specs in 2026.

Apple’s strategy, at least for now, rests on design and usability. In offering different smart glasses frame styles, it is trying to appeal to a wider group of users, much like it did with the Apple Watch.

The company is still some distance from launch. However, its direction is to start simple, focus on everyday use, and build from there.

Instead of hosting one livestreamed presentation, Apple will roll out announcements over three days, starting on March 2.

The programme will end on March 4, with in-person sessions in New York, London and Shanghai, where journalists will test new products.

The format will focus on hands-on demonstrations rather than a single-stage presentation. Reporters are expected to move through guided demos across the three cities.

According to reports from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple plans to introduce at least five products during the period.

These include a lower-priced MacBook, the iPhone 17e, an iPad Air fitted with an M4 chip, a new entry-level iPad, and refreshed MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.

He said the devices are due this spring, although the exact timing for each launch is not yet known. John Gruber of Daring Fireball also said the event may be “a hands-on thing with in-person demos.”

Apple has confirmed that the March 4 sessions will take place at the same time in New York, London and Shanghai. That breaks from its standard practice of hosting major launches at its headquarters in Cupertino.

Alongside the hardware, Apple is expected to discuss updates tied to iOS 26.4. The company has also given a sign that Visual Intelligence will play a big part in its next wave of wearable devices.

Chief executive Tim Cook has pointed to the feature as a key part of Apple’s direction in artificial intelligence for hardware.

There are also indications that Apple could preview immersive sports content for the Vision Pro headset, possibly including Formula 1 coverage, using its exclusive United States broadcast rights.

Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for ‘VR’ rocketed 300% worldwide on June 5, as Apple unveiled its new Vision Pro mixed reality headset at the Worldwide Developers Conference in California.

A new finding by Digital-adoption.com reveals online interest in ‘VR’ increased 300% over the last seven days, since the headset, priced at $3,499 and set to release next year, was announced.

Apple’s announcement comes when online interest in AI, or artificial intelligence, is at its highest point in history. Google Trends data reveals a 619% increase in ‘AI’ searches since 2004.

2023 has been a breakout year for AI, as search volume has more than doubled from 17 million in January to 42 million in May.

This is partly due to the rapid growth and adoption of accessible technologies like ChatGPT and Google Bard. 

Similarly, searches for ‘mixed reality’ and ‘augmented reality’ shot up by 1,130% and 545% during the conference. 

CEO Tim Cook led his introduction to Vision Pro with: “This is a day that’s been years in the making,” describing the headset as a “revolutionary new product” that “augments reality by seamlessly blending the real world with the digital world.”

The new technology is described as a step in the “era of spatial computing,” where “digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space.” 

Apple’s announcement has also caused spikes in users searching to ‘Buy Apple stock,’ which increased 1,482% worldwide in the last seven days.

According to TikTok, interest in virtual reality has more than tripled, and interest in artificial intelligence has soared tenfold since 2020.

A spokesperson from Digital-adoption.com commented on the findings: “There has been a massive surge in AI interest this year.

Apple’s announcement of Vision Pro has captured audiences at the right time, when new AI technologies, like ChatGPT, have become accessible to almost anyone. The latest announcement from Apple could start to tip the balance and encourage more users to adopt this kind of advanced tech into their homes and working lives”.

Before the unveiling of the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, Meta strategically teased the Meta Quest 3 to divert attention away from Apple’s upcoming announcement.

During a meeting with employees, Zuckerberg reportedly stated that Apple’s offering did not bring anything new to the table that Meta hadn’t already explored. He emphasized the differences in values and vision between the two companies.

According to The Verge, Zuckerberg referred to the Vision Pro as a device that showcased “a person sitting on the couch by themselves,” implying that it did not align with his desired future of computing.

Zuckerberg maintained that Meta’s Quest headset is designed to facilitate new forms of interaction and physical activity, positioning it as a superior option for the future of computing.

However, he previously expressed concerns about Apple’s dominance in the virtual reality space due to its closed ecosystem, suggesting that it could negatively impact Meta both financially and in the marketplace.

Apple’s Vision Pro, which was announced on Monday, marks the company’s official entry into the augmented reality/virtual reality market. Priced at $3,499 and set to launch in 2024, the headset represents Apple’s ambitions in this space.

Despite Zuckerberg’s criticisms, Apple’s entry into the market is expected to intensify competition and further drive innovation in the AR/VR industry.

On Monday, the US company unveiled its long-awaited augmented-reality headset Vision Pro, the company’s first major product debut since the Apple Watch in 2015, with prices from a whopping $3,499.

The reality is that this product isn’t for everyone. Apple has its target market and that market segment are likely to pay such a huge price.

No idea when this premium device will hit the Nigerian market anytime soon, however, it will be available in the US market from next year.

According to business intelligence firm Vantage Market Research in Washington, the global augmented-reality headset market is expected to reach almost $5.9 billion by 2030, from $4.1 billion last year, growing at an annual growth rate of 5.3 percent between 2023 and 2030.

In the US alone, the augmented-reality headset market revenue is expected to hit $1.88 billion this year from $1.84 billion last year, according to Statista

Apple shares pared earlier gains after Vision Pro was announced and were trading at $179.05, down more than 2.8 percent in the after-hours trading.

“It’s the first Apple product you look through and not at,” Chief Executive Tim Cook said during the presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California. “This marks the beginning of a journey.”

The headset is the latest of Apple’s “next big things” – a groundbreaking new product that can help the tech giant to maintain sales.

“Just as the Mac introduced us to personal computing and iPhone introduced us to mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro introduces us to spatial computing,” Mr. Cook said.

It marks the company’s first major new category in eight years and will try to redefine an industry in the same vein as the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

The device will be available in the US early next year but the widely anticipated launch failed to inspire investors.

Basic Features of Apple’s Vision Pro

An augmented-reality headset gives a virtual reality experience for three-dimensional simulations, PC games, and other applications such as movies.

They use an organic light-emitting diode or liquid crystal display screen and a head-motion monitoring sensor to produce realistic-looking 3D images.

The sensor in the VR headset tracks head movement and produces 3D pictures with up to a 360-degree field of view.