Sources inside Apple's supply chain have confirmed that the company is "gearing up" to begin production in the first half of next year

According to a paid report from DigiTimes, Apple Glass will go into production in early 2021 and be available for purchase by the end of the year This prediction is in line with a leak we heard earlier this week from Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, who leaked a large amount of information about one of Apple's most mysterious projects

Apple's component suppliers told DigiTimes that they are prepared to begin "small volume" production of Apple Glass, suggesting that the first generation product may have a limited launch

This report follows the Apple Glass leak by Prosser, a YouTuber who has had an impressive track record in recent months, and it is valuable that his information has been corroborated

According to Prosser, Apple Glass will cost $499 (plus prescription) and will feature a LiDAR scanner and use Apple's AR Starboard operating system, but will rely on a companion iPhone for computing

However, Bloomberg's Mark Garman is clearly skeptical of some of Prosser's claims Garman suggests that it will be available in late 2022 or 2023, and that Prosser is mistaking Apple Glasses for Apple's mixed reality headset

Prosser later refuted and supported the claim of the first Apple Glasses launch He also states that he was not referring to AR/VR headsets

According to Prosser, Apple Glass will also reportedly not feature an onboard speaker system Instead, the lens will require AirPods or AirPods Pro for audio integration

By the time Apple Glass is released to the world, however, the AirPods 3 (or AirPods Studio) may be the paired wireless headphones of choice Leaked information suggests that Apple is working on both of these audio products, but Apple Glass will not appear before us for at least a year

Apple Glass could be announced as "the other thing" after Tim Cook unveils the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch 6 this fall, if media representatives are able to attend

However, if the annual keynote cannot have an audience present due to health and safety guidelines, Apple may wait until next March to reveal Apple Glass to the world