Apple Smart Glasses Rivalling Ray-Ban Meta Could Land In 2026; Smartwatch Shelved, But AirPods Likely

Sometime next year, you might be able to sport Apple’s artificial intelligence-powered smart glasses. According to a Bloomberg report by tech insider Mark Gurman, the Cupertino-based tech major is working toward producing smart glasses by the end of next year as part of its drive toward AI-supported devices.

Gurman also noted that Apple may have put aside plans for a smartwatch, which was earlier in the pipeline. 

In an effort to make the 2026 target, Apple’s team is accelerating work on the glasses, Gurman noted, citing people aware of the development. Apple is eyeing a piece of the smart glasses space where Ray-Ban Meta glasses already have a strong foothold. 

According to insiders, Apple plans to begin manufacturing large quantities of prototypes with suppliers abroad by the end of this year, Gurman added. An earlier report had also noted that Apple was creating custom chips to power its future smart glasses. These chips would reportedly use less energy than those found in iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

In March, Bloomberg had reported that the company was developing both an Apple Watch and AirPods with AI capabilities. The smartwatch and AirPods were to have built-in camera and Visual Intelligence features that could study surroundings and integrate with other Apple devices. 

While both the standard Apple Watch and Watch Ultra were to have front-facing under-display camera, Watch Ultra would get cameras on the side and near the button and crown, making it capable of tracking its surroundings through Visual Intelligence. 

However, the latest report from Gurman noted that the company has abandoned plans for an Apple Watch with built-in cameras and Visual Intelligence, although Apple may yet improve its AirPods with the same capabilities.

The AirPod cameras will transmit Visual Intelligence information to the iPhone even when it’s in a user’s pocket. These AirPods could be launched in 2027, according to reports.