Latecomer Apple: smart glasses allegedly not market-ready before end of 2026
The market for smart glasses is on the move, and Apple also wants to get in on the action. The manufacturer has reportedly scrapped other planned AI hardware.
(Image: Leo Becker)
Apple is apparently pushing ahead with the development of smart glasses: the aim is to bring such AI glasses – codenamed N401 – onto the market by the end of 2026, as Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources. This year, the manufacturer is already planning to produce numerous prototypes of the glasses, which will be equipped with cameras, microphones, and speakers. Apple's long-term goal is to build classic glasses that also display content in the user's field of vision. However, this does not appear to be the case with the product planned for the end of 2026.
Apple Glasses similar to Ray-Ban Meta Glasses
Apple's first generation of Glasses is similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses that have long been available, but are “better made”, according to the report by the financial news agency. The classic Ray-Ban models also feature cameras, microphones and speakers, but no technology for displaying information or content. They also communicate with the smartphone to play music, dictate WhatsApp messages or talk to Meta's AI models. The glasses from Ray-Ban and Meta now appear to be in high demand: Ray-Ban manufacturer EssilorLuxottica reportedly intends to significantly increase production.
Apple's internal problem child is the state of Siri and Apple Intelligence: a halfway normal conversation is currently not possible with Apple's AI and even simple voice commands sometimes fail – fatally for interaction with smart glasses. With “visual intelligence”, Apple Intelligence does offer a camera mode for the iPhone that would also be suitable for smart glasses, but the range of functions is extremely limited so far. Fallbacks to Apple AI are ChatGPT and Google's image search.
Lots of hype surrounding AI hardware
The market for smart glasses is increasingly on the move, as Google also wants to get involved with Android XR and has recently named its first hardware partners and eyewear manufacturers who are working on products. The launch of Apple Glasses at the end of 2026 could also overlap with the first OpenAI hardware: Apple's former chief designer Jony Ive is working — together with other high-ranking ex-Apple designers and interface experts — on a first AI device for the ChatGPT maker. However, this is reportedly neither a pair of glasses nor another type of wearable that is worn permanently on the body.
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According to Bloomberg, Apple has now buried another AI project: the company was actively working on an Apple Watch with an integrated camera, but this has been discontinued as of this week. However, the development of AirPods with a camera will continue.
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