Apple Glasses not likely to be seen for several more years

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be getting ready to unveil its mixed reality headset to developers in a few months, but the company’s more consumer-focused device may not be ready for at least a few more years, a top analyst said late Wednesday.

In a blog post, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple Glasses are not likely to go into mass production until at least 2026 or 2027 “at the earliest.”

Kuo added that Apple (AAPL) is likely to use metalens technology in a number of its products, including the iPad, iPhone and Apple Glasses. Metalens technology “offers the advantages of lower cost and reduced height vs. existing plastic lenses,” Kuo explained.

Apple (AAPL) is widely expected to unveil its mixed reality headset, perhaps known as Reality Pro, at its Worldwide Developer Conference in June. The device is believed to cost between $2,000 and $3,000, though subsequent versions are likely to be cheaper.

The device, which uses both augmented and virtual reality, is likely to be aimed at developers, while the Apple Glasses headset may be more consumer focused.

Apple (AAPL) shares were up around 0.5% in premarket trading on Thursday.

Separately on Thursday, it was reported that Apple (AAPL) is in talks to manufacture some of its MacBook models in Thailand as it continues to diversify its supply chain away from China.