Apple is reportedly developing a new pair of smart glasses designed to compete directly with products like the Meta Ray-Ban lineup.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the glasses are currently being developed with a target launch timeframe of late 2027. The device is expected to feature built-in cameras, multiple frame styles, and a range of color options, making it look and feel more like traditional eyewear than a headset.
Unlike Apple Vision Pro, which is designed around immersive spatial computing, the smart glasses are expected to focus on everyday convenience, potentially offering features such as photo and video capture, AI-powered assistance, and contextual information about the world around the user.
Gurman says Apple ultimately sees the product evolving beyond its initial capabilities. In the long term, the company reportedly hopes the glasses could incorporate health-tracking features and eventually gain augmented reality functionality that enhances what users see in real time. However, those more advanced technologies are believed to be years away.
The reported project comes as Apple continues to search for a breakthrough in the wearables market beyond the Apple Watch and AirPods.
While Apple Vision Pro represented the company’s first major step into spatial computing, the headset has struggled to gain widespread traction since its debut. Its $3,499 starting price, limited app ecosystem, and bulky design have all been cited as reasons for weak consumer adoption. Reports have suggested sales have fallen well short of expectations, with demand for demos and purchases declining significantly after launch.
Image: Apple
Many analysts believe a lighter, cheaper, and more socially acceptable wearable, such as smart glasses, has a much greater chance of appealing to mainstream consumers than a high-end mixed reality headset.
According to Gurman, Apple’s glasses are expected to compete with smart eyewear currently priced between $200 and $500, putting them much closer to the mass market than Vision Pro.