Apple To Launch AI-Powered Smart Glasses By 2026

Apple is reportedly developing AI-powered smart glasses and it prepares to enter the market with new customized wearable devices, aiming to release the first models by 2026.

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple has been focusing on building glasses with advanced technology to compete against other tech giants in the field—such as Meta—and expects to deliver multiple prototypes by the end of the year.

Anonymous sources told Bloomberg reporter and Apple expert Mark Gurman that the new devices are expected to include microphones, cameras, speakers, and Siri’s voice assistant to process and analyze external information.

Apple’s new smart glasses will also integrate advanced AI technology, allowing users to perform tasks such as playing music, making phone calls, providing detailed directions, and performing live translations.

The iPhone maker is adopting a strategy similar to that of other companies by entering the smart glasses market. Last year, Snap introduced its AR glasses Spectacles; Meta introduced Orion, and, more recently, Aria Gen 2; and Google just announced its latest updates on its upcoming smart glasses.

Apple’s glasses are internally codenamed N401, a code referring to a broad project in the category. The tech giant also expects to develop wearable devices capable of including augmented reality features, but these are part of a longer-term initiative.

Gurman also added that Apple had been working on including cameras on its Apple Watch devices with a planned release by 2027, but people familiar with the matter told the journalist that the project has been cancelled. However, the team responsible for developing new AirPods technology keeps exploring the possibility of integrating cameras into the earbuds.

The tech giants remain focused on developing devices that can include the latest AI capabilities and revolutionize the industry. OpenAI, one of Apple’s largest competitors, announced this week the acquisition of io, an AI design company created by former Apple designer Jony Ive, and revealed they are developing a new AI-powered device.