Apple testing smart glasses
Reports say Apple is testing multiple smart‑glasses designs and may launch a first model as early as 2027 that omits a display and focuses on hands‑free sensors and ecosystem ties. Multiple outlets describe experiments with different styles, cameras and microphones as Apple explores ambient, always‑available input rather than a full head‑worn display. (digitimes.com) (bloomberg.com)
Apple is testing several smart-glasses designs and is weighing a first model for 2027 that skips a built-in display. (bloomberg.com) (digitimes.com) Bloomberg reported on April 12 that Apple is working on multiple frame styles, color options and a distinct camera layout for the device. DigiTimes reported on April 13 that Apple has been testing several prototypes and could target a launch as early as 2027. (bloomberg.com) (digitimes.com) The basic idea is simpler than a headset: glasses with cameras, microphones and speakers can hear commands, capture photos and feed software context about what the wearer is seeing. Meta already sells that format through Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta models with built-in cameras, open-ear audio and voice access to Meta artificial intelligence. (meta.com) (ray-ban.com) Apple’s reported design points the same way. The first version under test is described as a lighter, always-available wearable tied closely to the iPhone and Siri rather than a face computer that overlays apps on the real world. (bloomberg.com) (digitimes.com) That would mark a shift from Apple Vision Pro, the company’s current head-worn device, which Apple describes as a spatial computer that blends digital content with physical space. Vision Pro remains a bulkier headset with a separate band system and optional ZEISS optical inserts, not something designed to be worn like ordinary glasses all day. (apple.com 1) (apple.com 2) Apple has been moving toward this category for months. Bloomberg reported in May 2025 that Apple was aiming for glasses by the end of 2026, and in February 2026 it reported that Apple had accelerated work on glasses, a pendant and camera-equipped AirPods built around Siri. (bloomberg.com 1) (bloomberg.com 2) The timeline has also slipped. A May 2025 Bloomberg report pointed to late 2026, while the latest Bloomberg newsletter and DigiTimes report now frame 2027 as the likely window for a first product. (bloomberg.com 1) (bloomberg.com 2) (digitimes.com) Apple has not publicly announced the product, and the company’s current public wearables page is still centered on Vision Pro. For now, the reporting points to a narrower first step: glasses that act more like an ambient camera-and-audio accessory than a miniature display strapped to your face. (apple.com) (bloomberg.com)
