Apple Inc. is actively developing its first AI-powered smart glasses, currently testing at least four distinct frame designs ahead of a planned launch window in 2027. According to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the tech giant is experimenting with a variety of styles, including a large rectangular frame similar to Ray-Ban Wayfarers, a slimmer rectangular design akin to those worn by CEO Tim Cook, and both larger and smaller oval or circular frames.
The prototypes feature multiple color finishes such as black, ocean blue, and light brown, and are being built from acetate for a more premium and durable feel compared to standard plastic competitors. Internally codenamed N50, the glasses are expected to ship without a built-in display, focusing instead on core functions like photography, video capture, phone calls, music playback, and voice assistance through Siri, powered by a multimodal AI model.
A distinctive design element under exploration is a vertically oriented oval camera lens with surrounding lights, differentiating it from the circular camera used in Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. The device will also include microphones and speakers. This strategy marks a shift for Apple toward lighter, everyday wearables and away from heavier mixed-reality computing, partly in response to the lukewarm reception of high-end devices like the Vision Pro headset.
The development highlights intensifying competition with Meta, which currently leads the smart glasses market. The segment grew 139% year-over-year in the second half of 2025, largely driven by Meta's lineup. Apple aims to announce the product by late 2026 or early 2027, with shipments expected by the end of 2027. Despite the progress, Apple's stock (AAPL) traded flat as investors treated the initiative as a long-term optionality play rather than a near-term growth driver, while also weighing potential privacy challenges associated with camera-equipped, AI-powered wearables.
