After I heard that Apple had reportedly scrapped its plans for “Apple Imaginative and prescient Lite” AR glasses, I used to be the furthest factor from shocked. Apple cancels initiatives the entire time, however greater than being risk-averse, the Silicon Valley firm has proven little or no curiosity within the classes the place it would not already dominate gross sales. And Samsung, which appears much less afraid to experiment, will reap the advantages.
It is a conservative time for U.S. Huge Tech. Not strictly politically — although most tech CEOs have paid homage to Trump — however relatively that these firms preserve shedding tens of 1000’s of staff within the identify of “effectivity,” sometimes these engaged on non-AI initiatives and not using a tangible, fast path to earnings.
Not like Google and Meta, Apple hasn’t had the type of mass layoffs that prioritize earnings over caring about your staff, however it did have a number of rounds of 2024 layoffs at a smaller scale. And in this type of atmosphere, everybody must justify that their undertaking has a future.
Possibly Apple’s “Apple Imaginative and prescient Lite” or “Apple Glasses” did not have a future. Wired AR glasses have their area of interest, however the truth that they reportedly could not work with an iPhone restricted their potential usefulness and portability exterior of XR superfans.
However on this atmosphere of skeptical, penny-pinching executives in search of merchandise that instantly stand out from rivals, it isn’t stunning that we’ve not seen a lot that is new from Apple in years, other than the Imaginative and prescient Professional.
Apple’s ‘imaginative and prescient’ would not embody good rings, glasses, or foldables
Need an Apple Ring as a petite various to an Apple Watch? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says, “Apple isn’t actively growing a hoop and has no plans to launch one,” regardless of years of good ring patents and rumors. That offers Samsung, Oura, and different indie manufacturers free reign.
Need an Apple Flip or Fold? Leakers preserve predicting 12 months after 12 months that one is coming — now 2026 is the goal, with Apple eyeing a brand new show producer — however Apple retains canceling or pushing again its rumored foldable cellphone so continuously that it appears like Lucy Leaker yanking away the soccer whereas Charlie Brown techies get excited over nothing.
And once more, foldable cellphone manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and Honor can preserve dominating on this space whereas Apple dawdles.
I am certain Meta is thrilled that its Orion AR glasses will not must compete with Apple’s canceled AR glasses in 2027, however the truth that Apple hasn’t proven any indication to make “common” good glasses like Ray-Ban Metas is a fair greater deal.
Apple Music/Photographs and Siri in fashionable frames would show insanely fashionable in one of many fastest-growing product classes. As a substitute, we have heard nothing on this finish both. In the meantime, Samsung and Google have teamed up for Android XR, and whereas a mixed-reality Challenge Moohan headset is the primary precedence, one leak suggests Samsung will make a no-display good glasses product subsequent as a Ray-Ban rival.
Suppose completely different? Nah…
You may criticize Samsung’s tendency to hurry merchandise to market and depend on identify recognition as a substitute of innovation to drive gross sales. The comparatively mid Galaxy Ring is a good instance of this. However what issues extra is that it hasn’t misplaced that grasping, formidable, experimental tendency to strive something new after which iterate to make these merchandise higher 12 months after 12 months to strengthen its place in each class.
Frankly, so long as Apple stays out of those product classes, Samsung has much less incentive to compete and innovate towards its largest rival, because it does with its Galaxy telephones.
Apple has by no means totally lived as much as its Steve Jobs-era status for “considering in a different way,” however it really feels prefer it has grow to be so risk-averse lately that the one factor its customers must sit up for is Apple Intelligence. And that applies to different Huge Tech manufacturers like Google, too, with its Gemini push and Graveyard of different concepts behind it.
My criticism is not nearly “Apple Imaginative and prescient Lite,” any greater than it’s concerning the Apple Automotive. It is the truth that, once more, my first response to the cancelation information was a weary, cynical lack of shock.
As somebody who writes for an Android website however used to completely use Apple merchandise out of laziness, I’ve by no means been invested in judging one firm or ecosystem as “higher” or mocking Apple when it arrives years late on widespread Android options. All I care about is the standard capitalistic concept that competitors is nice for shoppers such as you and me.
So, as the most important tech manufacturers retreat into their most profitable niches and monopolies to maintain shareholders glad and use shiny AI tips to maintain us complacent, I am going to proceed to lament how firms apart from Samsung appear to be giving up on attempting new issues.
