Apple testing four glass styles

Apple is testing at least four smart-glasses frame designs as it works toward a first model now targeted for 2027. (techcrunch.com) Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on April 12 that the prototypes include both rectangular and round frames, with Apple also weighing colors such as black, ocean blue, and light brown. The report said some versions use acetate, an eyewear material that is heavier and pricier than basic plastic. (bloomberg.com) The same report said Apple is considering a vertically oval camera module with lights around it, a layout that would make the glasses look different from Meta’s Ray-Ban line. Apple has not announced the product or confirmed the design work. (techcrunch.com) These are not full augmented-reality glasses with digital images floating in the lens. Gurman’s report, as summarized by TechCrunch and 9to5Mac, says the first model would skip a display and instead focus on photos, video, calls, music, and Siri. (techcrunch.com) (9to5mac.com) That would put Apple closer to the market Meta has already built with camera-and-audio glasses than to the headset strategy it used for Vision Pro. TechCrunch said the glasses mark a step back from Apple’s earlier plan to ship a wider range of mixed-reality and augmented-reality devices. (techcrunch.com) The competitive pressure is real: EssilorLuxottica said Meta’s artificial-intelligence glasses sales more than tripled in 2025, reaching more than 7 million units. CNBC reported the figure on February 11 from the eyewear group’s fourth-quarter results. (cnbc.com) Apple’s own headset has had a narrower market so far. PCMag, citing International Data Corporation estimates, reported on January 4 that Apple shipped about 45,000 Vision Pro units in the fourth quarter of 2025, while Apple has not broken out official unit sales. (pcmag.com) (apple.com) Reports on Apple’s timeline have shifted over the past year. TechCrunch reported in May 2025 that Apple was eyeing a 2026 launch, but its April 12, 2026 report said the target is now 2027, with a possible unveiling by the end of 2026. (techcrunch.com 1) (techcrunch.com 2) The design work suggests Apple thinks smart glasses have to win as eyewear before they win as gadgets. If the 2027 schedule holds, the next test is whether Apple can turn four prototypes into one frame people will actually wear. (macrumors.com)