Apple Explores Push Into Smart Glasses

The initiative, code-named Atlas, got under way last week and involves gathering feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Additional focus groups are planned for the near future, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret. The studies are being led by Apple's product systems quality team, part of the hardware engineering division.

"Testing and developing products that all can come to love is very important to what we do at Apple," the group wrote in an e-mail to select employees at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. "This is why we are looking for participants to join us in an upcoming user study with current market smart glasses."

When Apple is considering whether to enter a new category, it often hosts secret focus groups to understand what people like about existing products. The company typically relies on employees - rather than customers - so it can avoid making its plans public. A representative for Apple declined to comment.

The latest study suggests that Apple is moving forward with its own work on smart glasses, though an actual product could still be years away. The research will likely guide Apple in what features to include in its own glasses and help identify ways the technology could be used.

Meta, meanwhile, found success with a more stripped-down formula. Its 299 glasses, created in partnership with Luxottica Group, aren't true AR spectacles - they don't overlay information on the glass. But they let users shoot video, take phone calls and ask questions of an AI assistant.