Apple's first smart glasses set to arrive in 2026, taking aim at Meta
Apple aims to launch a rival to the Ray-Ban Meta glasses by the end of 2026, Bloomberg reports.
This was reported by Mark Gurman, who has a strong track record with accurate Apple predictions.
According to Gurman, the company is "ramping up work" to meet the end-of-2026 deadline. Production of large quantities of prototypes by overseas suppliers is reportedly set to begin at the end of this year.
Just a few weeks ago, Gurman revealed that Apple is developing custom silicon specifically for the smart glasses, with mass production scheduled as early as next year.
The project is being led by Apple’s Vision Products Group—the same team behind the Apple Vision Pro—which is also currently working on two new versions of the mixed-reality headset.
The upcoming glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and speakers. They will be capable of analyzing the environment and responding to voice commands via Siri. Features could include phone calls, music playback, live translations and turn-by-turn directions. According to a source cited by Gurman, the device will resemble Meta’s product but be "better made".
Meta is far ahead of Apple, and Google might be as well
Last year, Gurman reported that Apple was planning to launch its smart glasses in 2027. However, the company may have realized that the gap between itself and its competitors could become too large if it waited that long.
Meta has been in the smart glasses market since 2021 and has already sold around two million Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. This fall, new models are expected to join the lineup—including Oakley-branded glasses with smart features similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, as well as a higher-priced model featuring an integrated heads-up display. Meta's first fully-fledged AR glasses are anticipated for 2027.
Google is also developing its own smart glasses based on the Android XR platform. At the Google I/O developer conference, the company demonstrated an advanced prototype and announced partnerships with eyewear brands Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.
The biggest open question is whether Apple can overcome its challenges in the field of artificial intelligence. Meta and Google are already marketing their smart glasses as "AI glasses"—and Apple’s success in this category will likely depend on the capabilities of its AI platform, Apple Intelligence.
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