The long-awaited Apple Glass has reached a major milestone, and DigiTimes reports that it has moved into the second phase of development. This new phase is focused on battery life and weight. [However, it will be some time before you can see Apple Glasses at your nearest Apple Store, and DigiTimes reports that the next stage is to create a prototype of the final design, followed by six to nine months of thorough testing. Only after that will mass production be possible.

Not much is known about Apple Glass at this time, but it has long been speculated that it will be augmented reality (AR) glasses rather than the more common virtual reality. Apple is also interested in VR, but we already know that those headsets will be much larger and bulkier than the largest glasses.

Reportedly, Apple Glasses will connect to your cell phone and display everything you normally see on your phone. Text messages, e-mail, maps, games, and more are displayed directly in front of you, instead of the high-tech rectangles you normally have to pick up and poke at.

Third parties should be able to launch apps specifically for Apple Glasses, just as you can get optimized versions of popular apps on the Apple Watch and Apple TV.

However, don't expect Apple Glasses to appear anytime soon. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple's first AR device will appear later this year, but it doesn't seem likely that it will be the Apple Glasses that people are hoping for.

Previous reports by Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman put the spec release date at 2022 or 2023, which is consistent with DigiTimes' information. Given the testing and production time, Apple would have to have a prototype of the final design now if it wants a late 2021 release.

Of course, Jon Prosser, a well-known Apple leaker, stubbornly insists that it will appear in mid-2021. But unless we are talking about a different device, which seems unlikely given the latest information.

No matter how long it takes to arrive, it is clear that Apple is working on Apple Glasses. For now, we will just have to continue to be patient and wait to see what happens over the next couple of years.