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Apple Enters 2nd Phase of Production for AR Glasses

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo provided a wide-ranging new report on what to expect from Apple in 2021. The analyst says that Apple will release its first augmented reality device in 2021, alongside AirTag item trackers and much more,” wrote 9to5Mac.

• Apple’s designers may have found that redesigning glasses with decent battery life hard, and Apple is never first on things like headsets, which still aren’t exactly common. 
• Apple is now in the "second phase" of production, citing supply chain sources.
• Exactly what the "second phase" means is somewhat arbitrary but when lined up with other leaks, it leads to some optimism to an imminent arrival. For instance, iOS 13 code pointed to hints of AR headset in testing circa 2019. This lined up with reports that Apple had initially planned to ship a more immersive AR headset followed by smart glasses, though subsequent reports now indicate plans for a more immersive device have been scrapped for an all-inclusive but less powerful wearable.
• Prognostications on the arrival of Apple's AR wearables have ranged from 2020  to as late as 2023. However, more recent reports have pegged Apple's AR device debut for later in 2021.
• Apple is also reportedly planning smaller and lighter GaN-based chargers; it’s a device that replaced the brick with a smaller, lighter, more power-efficient, and cooler device across hundreds of millions of chargers over time will be better for people and the environment… although, at the cost of replacing old with new with minimal recycled materials.

Figure 1: Apple Smart Glass