Apple Partnering With Carl Zeiss For Potential iPhone 8 Augmented Reality Glasses


2017 is set to be a big year for Apple. First, there is news on the iPhone 8.

The recent iPhone 7 series wasn’t a big upgrade from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but the iPhone 8 series upgrade is going to be huge. According to 9to5Mac, we may see 4.7-inch to 5.8-inch curved OLED displays, an all-glass design with new colors, wireless charging, an embedded (into the screen) home button, and something that has to do with augmented reality.

BGR describes how Apple may incorporate augmented reality with their next smartphone in 2017.

Augmented reality glasses could debut with the iPhone 8. [Image by Daryl Deino]

“The way Apple envisions implementing augmented reality into the iPhone is multi-faceted. For instance, Apple envisions iPhone users being able to point their cameras at any number of objects and have the device itself recognize what’s in frame,” says columnist Yoni Heisler.

Now, it has been revealed that Apple has been working with Carl Zeiss on Augmented reality glasses. MacRumors has the news.

“Apple and German company Carl Zeiss AG are working together on a pair of augmented reality smart glasses that could be announced as soon as this year, claims well-known blogger Robert Scoble in a Facebook post.”

The article adds that according to Scoble, a Zeiss employee confirmed the partnership between the two companies that was revealed during a conversation at the recent CES show. Apple has allegedly already contacted suppliers about the project, which appears to be in the exploratory prototyping phase of development. While Scoble believes the glasses could be released in 2017, others say we won’t be able to experience Apple’s augmented reality until 2018.

Many of the commenters after the article are excited for Apple’s augmented reality project.

“Obviously, Apple won’t be the first to offer a product with augmented reality, but they have found success in markets they were late to in the past. Here’s to cautiously hoping for another iPod, iPhone, iPad, or AirPods-esque unexpected hit,” says AngerDanger.

“Hope Apple VR and AR materilize soon…They have been at it through their RD initiative for a long time. (I know from decade old job listing.),” claims Yojimbo007.

Apple, once again, is hoping to take something that other companies failed at and turn it into a success. A recent example is Microsoft’s HoloLens. Though it has only been released as a developer’s version, many have given the device mixed reviews. The main problem is the limited field of view (FOV). WinBeta explained why it is a major issue.

Microsoft’s HoloLens is the first augmented reality headset that can be purchased. [Image by Daryl Deino]

“Whatever the reasons, the field of view is narrower than you’ll probably want. The thing that struck me most about the field of view problems was not that the screen was too small, but what happens when you want to change the field of view,” says author Kip Kniskern.

Kniskern and others say that to understand the limited field-of-view, one has to think of holding a smartphone about eight inches from your face. When a holographic image is too large for that space, it will clip off and sour the immersive experience. It’s really hard to explain unless you try the HoloLens yourself.

Microsoft currently charges $3,000 for the HoloLens — money that most consumers don’t have for a tech device. However, according to International Business Times, Microsoft is going to team up with a handful of PC makers who will release their own headsets based on HoloLens technology. This could mean that Lenovo, HP, and even ASUS will possibly release headsets. Let’s hope these new augmented reality headsets offer a decent FOV.

[Featured Image by Mark Lennihan/AP Images]

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