Quanta Computer, one of Apple’s main manufacturing partners, has made a licensing agreement with Lumuns, an augmented-reality component maker, for manufacturing lenses for smart glasses. This doesn’t necessarily mean Apple AR (augmented reality) glasses are coming, but it does add fuel to the rumors.
Lumus designs displays for AR glasses that will project information into the wearer’s field of view. As part of the deal, Quanta will manufacture the lenses for Lumus and then have the option to produce the component for leading consumer technology companies, Lumus Chief Executive Officer Ari Grobman told Bloomberg.
Apple is believed to be working on an AR headset. In a June blog post, venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPhone growth will peak in fiscal year 2019, then slowly decline as “Apple Glasses” emerge. He thinks those glasses, an AR-focused wearable, will be released mid-fiscal year 2020.
In March, Bloomberg said Apple is working on several AR products, including digital spectacles (pictured in a Newsweek mockup) that could connect wirelessly to an iPhone and beam content—movies, maps and more—to the wearer. While the glasses are a ways off, AR features could show up in the iPhone sooner, the article adds.
All this makes sense, as Apple has applied for multiple patents regarding AR and scooped up some AR-related companies.
