Future Apple Vision Pros and Apple’s rumored smart glasses (“Apple Glasses”) may remind users to blink, move, or adjust their eyes. The company has filed for a patent for a “Head-Mountable Device for Eye Monitoring,”
About the patent filing
The patent relates generally to head-mountable devices, and, more particularly, to head-mountable devices that guide and direct a user to address eye conditions of the user. Apple realizes that long usage of the Vision Pro can be uncomfortable and tiring on a per’s eyes.
The tech giant wants to increase a user’s comfort and convenience while wearing and/or operating a head-mountable device. For example, a head-mountable device may facilitate and/or enhance a user’s awareness and/or rection to various conditions that can be detected by the head-mountable device.
Such conditions can include features and/or events in an environment of the user, motion of the user and/or the head-mountable device, and/or conditions of the eyes of the user, including moisture conditions. By making such detections and providing appropriate outputs, the head-mountable device can facilitate and/or encourage the performance of actions by the user that enhance the user’s comfort and/or awareness.
What’s more, a head-mountable device can facilitate comfort, guidance, and alertness of the user by inducing the user to blink, move, or adjust the user’s eyes. Such actions can be encouraged in response to detections of the user’s movement, features of the environment in the environment, and/or the conditions of the eye, including moisture of the eye.
Apple says that such actions can be performed by an output of the head-mountable device, such as a display, a speaker, a haptic feedback device, a blower, and/or another output device that interacts with the user.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “A head-mountable device can facilitate comfort, guidance, and alertness of the user by inducing the user to blink, move, or adjust the user’s eyes. Such actions can be encouraged in response to detections of the user’s movement, physical features of the environment, and/or the conditions of the eye, including moisture of the eye. The actions can be performed by an output of the head-mountable device, such as a display, a speaker, a haptic feedback device, a blower, and/or another output device that interacts with the user.”
Apple’s head-mounted device roadmap
Apple is reportedly working on its own version of smart glasses, which most pundits have dubbed (of course) “Apple Glasses.”
In an X post, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will release its own “smart glasses” in 2027. These will have a design more like traditional eyewear than the Apple Vision Pro.
As for Apple’s roadmap for Apple Glasses and Vision Pros, here’s what Kuo is forecasting:
Vision Pro M5 Version:
° Mass production scheduled for 3Q25, with projected shipments of 150,000-200,000 units in 2025;
° Processor upgrade from M2 to M5; other specifications remain unchanged;
° Will continue as a niche product, aimed at maintaining market presence, developing the ecosystem, reducing component inventory, and exploring XR headset applications.
Vision Air:
° Mass production scheduled for 3Q27;
° Features all-new form factor, substantially lighter (over 40% weight reduction compared to Vision Pro);
° Powered by Apple’s latest flagship iPhone processor;
° Weight reduction achieved through glass-to-plastic replacement, extensive magnesium alloy use (titanium alloy deemed too expensive), and reduced sensor count; ° Significantly lower price point than Vision Prol
All-New Design Vision Pro 2nd Generation:
° Mass production is projected for 2H28;
° Features an entirely new design, significantly lighter, and a lower price point;
° Will equip with a Mac-grade processor.
Smart glasses–type:
° Ray-Ban-like;
° Mass production scheduled for 2Q27, with projected shipments of 3-5 million units or more in 2027;
° Multiple frame and temple material options;
° Voice control and gesture recognition user interface;
° No display functionality; core features include: audio playback, camera, video recording, and AI environmental sensing
XR Glasses:
° Mass production scheduled for 2H28;
° Voice control and gesture recognition user interface; ° Display technology: LCoS with waveguide, supporting color display;
° AI functionality critical to product success;
° Additional variant in development with later production timeline and lower visibility.
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