The aforementioned study was reportedly launched in late October and is known under the code name Project Atlas, not to be confused with an abandoned project. iPhone16 material project bearing the same code name. With its internal study, Apple is seeking to collect feedback from employees on the smart glasses currently on the market.

The study would be conducted by the company’s Product Systems Quality team, part of Apple’s hardware engineering division. There are also plans to create additional focus groups in the near future.

According to the Bloomberg reportthe company sent an internal email asking some employees at its Cupertino headquarters to participate in the study.

“Testing and developing products that everyone can love is very important to what we do at Apple,” the email said. “That’s why we’re looking for participants to join us in an upcoming user study of current smart glasses on the market.”

Previous rumors have indicated that Apple wants to launch its own smart glasses in 2027, while an Apple patent application surrounding a possible hinge mechanism has also emerged among the years of evidence of work on such a project. Other companies have already expressed interest in smart glasses, with Meta unveiling its Orion prototype in September 2024.

It makes sense for Apple to take employee feedback into account and analyze its potential competitors in the market. People who know the Apple Vision Prothe development cycle of AppleInsider As the company conducted an analysis of virtual reality headsets on the market before launching the device, a similar strategy for smart glasses seems likely.

In 2025, the Apple Vision Pro could be updated with an all-new M5 chip, while a low-cost variant of the device has reportedly been delayed until 2027. Apple CEO Tim Cook has already describe the current Apple Vision Pro as a pioneer product, indicating that the company likely has plans for future augmented reality headsets, perhaps even smart glasses.