A report today from The Information says Apple and Foxconn have reached a key milestone in their development of the semitransparent lenses for their much-rumored augmented reality headset. The lenses are said to be moving from prototype to trial production,
Apple is developing the lenses on a single production line at a Foxconn factory in Chengdu in southwestern China, where most of Apple’s iPad production is centered, the person said.
Apple has multiple phases in the development of new products, starting with periods of prototyping in California and China, during which it makes dozens and hundreds of units, respectively, of the products and their parts. As of May, the lenses had entered a stage known as engineering validation test, or EVT, during which Apple typically makes thousands of units, said the person familiar with the matter. During that period, Apple has locked down the design and begins testing its suitability for mass production.
The report says the lenses are still a year or two away from mass production. Previous rumors have indicated the headset would launch around 2022, so today’s report jibes with those rumors.
Apple is reported to have multiple AR and VR projects in the works.