- Apple is reportedly working on a new chip for power smart glasses that should be ready in 2027
- These first smart glasses from Apple are likely to take on Ray-Ban Meta glasses
- The company is also still working on a more advanced couple
Apple has been rumored to work on smart glasses according to what feels like forever, and it makes sense considering that this portable gadget would be lighter than the Apple Vision Pro with a slimmer all-round design and hopefully also easier on the wallet.
A new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman describes that the Cupertino-based tech giant is making progress on a chip that will run “his first smart glasses.”
The report notes that ‘progress is made’ on the chip, which means internal work on the smart glasses is rising and that production on the processor is set to start by the end of 2027.
Now dates can move and change, but it would put these smart glasses on the road to release in about two years.
However, these are not the full AR glasses that have long been rumored; Rather, the report says these smart glasses “would compete with the popular Ray-Ban Spectacles” from Meta. Meta Ray-Bans is a hit for the company that lands in a similar building as classic glasses. They allow one to take photos or videos without taking out a phone and offering easy access to the Meta AI assistant.
However, Apple’s exact feature sets for these smart glasses that would not overlay the world around you have not yet been set. According to the report, “Apple is currently exploring non-arable glass that uses cameras to scan the surrounding environment and rely on AI to help users.”
This sounds pretty similar to what Meta Ray-Ban offers, and also for visual intelligence on the iPhone 16 set-up and iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max-As uses Google or Chatgpt to identify what’s in the stage. Hopefully, however, in 2027, Apple Intelligence will become more widespread with AI-driven Siri in the hands of lots of consumers on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
When you see that this reported chip is modeled after Apple Watch’s SOC, it is likely that these smart glasses would pair with another device like an iPhone, probably in a process similar to setting up an Apple Watch or AirPods.
However, Apple does not only change to focus on building smart glasses without scars. The report notes that this new model and the previous rumor are under development and that Tim Cook really wants to beat Meta in the world of smart glasses.
To offer more than one model when the time comes to a release would be an easy way to attract more consumers, especially if it lowers the entry price.
Still, we are far out on Apple’s rumored smart glasses as two years put them at the earliest of 2027, but I would bet that we will see many more rumors and reports in the lead up to it.
In the more immediate future, Apple’s World Wide Developers conference will start on June 9, 2025, and the company will share more about its next generation’s platforms and Apple Intelligence as a whole. Who knows we may even get a more significant update to Vision Pro, which could suggest future glasses.
