Apple Accelerates Smart Glasses Development, Targets Late 2026 Launch
May 23 – According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is ramping up efforts to develop its first smart glasses, aiming for a late 2026 release to compete in the AI-powered wearable market. Sources reveal that engineers are prioritizing this project, though Apple has paused plans for a smartwatch with built-in cameras.
Competing with Meta and Google
The glasses will rival Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses and Google’s newly unveiled Android XR prototype, positioning them as an "AI-powered wearable." Features include:
- Built-in cameras, microphone arrays, and compact speakers
- Photo/video capture, real-time translation, turn-by-turn navigation, music playback, and calls
- Siri voice control and contextual feedback based on the user’s view
Unlike Meta and Google’s AR-capable devices, Apple’s initial version won’t support augmented reality.
Production and Design
Apple plans to partner with overseas suppliers by year-end for large-scale prototype production, ensuring ample testing time. A tester described the design as "similar to Meta Ray-Ban but more refined." The project is led by Apple’s Vision Products Group, which previously developed the Vision Pro.
AI Challenges
Unlike Meta (using Llama) and Google (Gemini), Apple will rely solely on its in-house AI models. Insiders note concerns within the team, as iPhone’s visual features still depend on Google and OpenAI. To address this, Apple is fast-tracking alternatives, including its recently released FastVLM—a vision-language model optimized for Apple Silicon.
FastVLM: A Key to Smart Glasses?
The lightweight model (0.5B, 1.5B, and 7B versions) enables near real-time high-res image processing with lower computational demand, hinting at its role in future wearables.
May 23 – According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is ramping up efforts to develop its first smart glasses, aiming for a late 2026 release to compete in the AI-powered wearable market. Sources reveal that engineers are prioritizing this project, though Apple has paused plans for a smartwatch with built-in cameras.
Competing with Meta and Google
The glasses will rival Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses and Google’s newly unveiled Android XR prototype, positioning them as an "AI-powered wearable." Features include:
- Built-in cameras, microphone arrays, and compact speakers
- Photo/video capture, real-time translation, turn-by-turn navigation, music playback, and calls
- Siri voice control and contextual feedback based on the user’s view
Unlike Meta and Google’s AR-capable devices, Apple’s initial version won’t support augmented reality.
Production and Design
Apple plans to partner with overseas suppliers by year-end for large-scale prototype production, ensuring ample testing time. A tester described the design as "similar to Meta Ray-Ban but more refined." The project is led by Apple’s Vision Products Group, which previously developed the Vision Pro.
AI Challenges
Unlike Meta (using Llama) and Google (Gemini), Apple will rely solely on its in-house AI models. Insiders note concerns within the team, as iPhone’s visual features still depend on Google and OpenAI. To address this, Apple is fast-tracking alternatives, including its recently released FastVLM—a vision-language model optimized for Apple Silicon.
FastVLM: A Key to Smart Glasses?
The lightweight model (0.5B, 1.5B, and 7B versions) enables near real-time high-res image processing with lower computational demand, hinting at its role in future wearables.
