Apple’s computerized glasses will be as powerful as a Mac and launch next year, top analyst says

Apple’s computerized glasses will be as powerful as its Mac computers and launch at the end of 2022, top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TFI Asset Management said in a note to investors Friday.

Kuo has a stellar track record at predicting future Apple product launches thanks to his research throughout Apple’s supply chain. Kuo said the huge processing power will help the glasses stand out from competitors since they’ll perform intensive tasks without a connection to a smartphone or computer. Previous reports said the glasses would need a connection to an iPhone in order to work.

The latest report is likely thanks to Apple’s development of its own processors for Mac computers. Those chips, which Apple calls the M1, outperform Intel processors Apple previously used while greatly preserving battery life.

This fall, Apple released the newest and most powerful versions of the M1 processor, the M1 Pro and M1 Max, in the new MacBook Pro. Kuo said Apple’s glasses will also use a processor based on the M1.

Still, Kuo said Apple will position the glasses as an iPhone accessory, not a replacement for the iPhone. That would play well into Apple’s strategy of selling wearable accessories like AirPods and Apple Watches tied to its flagship product, the iPhone.

Apple’s glasses are said to make use of augmented reality, which is the technology that overlays digital images on top of the real world. The company has supported augmented reality on the iPhone for several years, but computerized glasses have the potential to open up even more uses for the technology.

Apple shares were down more than 2% Friday amid a broader market selloff.