Ming-Chi Kuo, a supply chain analyst, released a report about metalens technology and its adoption by Apple, noting its potential use in Apple Glasses around 2026 or 2027.
Apple appears to be developing metalens technology to replace plastic lens covers in future devices. It would start as a replacement for the covers for Face ID and eventually for the camera lenses and AR glasses.
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Based on report , the first appearance of metalens will enter mass production in 2024 for use in Face ID on the iPad Pro. If successful, iPhones will adopt metalens for Face ID in 2025 or 2026, although Kuo says the later is more likely.
The technology will be used for Apple Glasses, the augmented reality glasses expected to display content over the real world. Kuo says that Apple's glasses will go into production in 2026 or 2027.
Metalens technology is expected to become mainstream from 2028 to 2030, serving as a replacement for plastic lenses in low‑end cameras or LiDAR systems.
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A Harvard paper describes a metalens as a flat surface that uses nanostructures to focus light. The technology appears to be still in its early stages, but Kuo is confident it will be ready for tiny lens covers for Face ID by 2024.
Kuo has not mentioned any possible date for the release of Apple AR glasses in recent years, although it was previously reported that they would be ready by 2025. The same report also mentioned the possibility of contact lenses by 2030. The AR glasses are likely to be announced at WWDC in June. It is the first step for the development of the glasses, something Kuo believes could be ready no earlier than 2026.
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source of information: appleinsider.com
