Apple (AAPL.US) reportedly starts "Atlas" project to secretly explore smart glasses

Apple Inc. has started a project codenamed Atlas to explore the possibility of entering the smart glasses market, according to people familiar with the matter. The project, which began last week, aims to gather feedback from Apple employees on smart glasses and plans to organize more focus groups. The research is being led by the product system quality team in Apple's hardware engineering department, laying the groundwork for the company to follow Meta Platforms Inc. into the increasingly popular smart glasses category.Apple typically organizes secret focus groups to understand people's preferences for existing products and use that as a basis for considering whether to enter a new area. The user research on smart glasses could guide Apple on what features to add to its glasses and help determine how the technology will be used.Apple has been considering entering the smart glasses market, which could challenge Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, but an actual product is still years away. Meanwhile, Meta has succeeded with a more streamlined approach, launching glasses for $299 that aren't true augmented reality glasses but allow users to take videos, answer phone calls and ask questions of an AI assistant. Apple is seeking to create a similar product, possibly smart glasses that work like its already-popular AirPods earbuds.However, creating a successful wearable device has been a challenge. Apple's previous Vision Pro headset was seen as too bulky and expensive to become mainstream. So Apple is also considering improvements to the Vision Pro to broaden its appeal and develop a cheaper, lower-end version.In addition, competitors Meta and Snap Inc. have made progress in the AR glasses area, but both products are at least years away from being ready for consumers. Apple faces pressure from competitors but is also exploring and innovating to try to carve out a place for itself in the smart glasses market.