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Apple is reportedly working on metalens technology to replace plastic lens covers in future devices, including the highly anticipated Apple Glasses. Supply chain analyst and leaker Ming-Chi Kuo recently shared a report about Apple’s plans for metalens technology.
According to Kuo, the first appearance of metalens will enter mass production in 2024 for use as the Face ID cover in the iPad Pro. If successful, the iPhone will adopt metalens for Face ID in 2025 or 2026, although Kuo believes the latter is more likely.
Metalens technology is a flat surface that uses nanostructures to focus light, according to a Harvard University paper. Kuo is confident that the technology will be ready for use as tiny lens covers for Face ID by 2024.
The ultimate goal for Apple’s metalens technology is to use it in the Apple Glasses, which are expected to display content over the real world in an augmented reality experience. Kuo predicts that Apple’s glasses will go into production in 2026 or 2027 at the earliest.
While the metalens technology is in the early stages, it is expected to become more mainstream by 2028 to 2030, replacing plastic lenses on low-end cameras or LiDAR systems.
It is worth noting that Kuo has a strong history of reporting future product release windows, even if those windows slip. Therefore, this report is rated “Possible” on our rumor scale due to the length of time involved between now and confirming the leak.
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Interestingly, Kuo has not mentioned a launch window for Apple’s AR glasses project in years, previously sharing that they were due in 2025. That report also mentioned contact lenses, which were expected by 2030. However, Kuo’s recent report makes no mention of the contacts.
It is worth noting that Apple is rumored to be announcing its VR headset during WWDC in June. This announcement could be the first step towards Apple developing the Apple Glasses, which Kuo expects could be ready no earlier than 2026.