Apple working on smart glasses that would understand the world around them, report claims

Apple is working on smart glasses that could be ready within the year, according to a new report.

The glasses would feature an array of sensors that allow them to be aware of the world around them, according to Bloomberg.

The company is planning to launch the glasses in 2026, the report claims.

That would put them in direct competition with Meta’s popular glasses, developed in collaboration with Ray-Ban. Those include a camera, microphone, speakers that project into the ear and a connection that allow them to speak to Meta’s AI assistant.

The Apple glasses would presumably function similarly to Apple’s existing AirPods. They include a microphone and a camera that can be used to talk to the Siri virtual assistant.

But the glasses would include at least one camera that would allow it to see the world and presumably incorporate that context into answers.

Some rumours have suggested that Apple is also working on possible AirPods that would include a camera themselves – though it remains unclear whether those will launch, and what the camera could be used for.

Apple has already released its Vision Pro, an augmented reality headset that the owner wears like goggles. But that is heavy and uses cameras to project the outside world onto a screen on the outside.

Meta has its own such headset, as well as its glasses, and has explicitly said that it is looking to integrate the two into a lightweight headset that would show the real world but also offer the ability to overlay virtual information and objects onto it.

Apple has long said that its primary interest is in augmented rather than virtual reality, and that the aim of the Vision Pro headset is to connect users with the outside world.