Apple Eyes 2026 Launch for Sleek Smart Glasses with Built-In Cameras
Apple appears poised to revolutionise wearable technology once again—this time withsmart glasses that could hit the market as early as 2026. According to a recentreport by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the tech titan is developing a new wearablethat promises to blend cutting-edge hardware with Apple’s trademark sleekdesign.
Theseupcoming smart glasses are expected to feature embedded cameras, microphones,and speakers, allowing users to engage in hands-free interactions. UnlikeApple’s bulky Vision Pro headset, which received attention but struggled to gomainstream, the glasses are designed to be lightweight, discreet, and wearablein everyday settings.
Accordingto Gurman, the glasses will be able to “see what you see, hear what you hear,and help out as needed,” indicating a shift toward more context-awarefunctionality. If accurate, this innovation could align Apple with recentdevelopments teased at Google I/O 2025, where Google showcased its ProjectAura—an Android XR smart glass prototype capable of understanding itsenvironment.
Apple’sversion appears to be aiming for the same smart, reactive experience. Byintegrating real-time environmental awareness, these glasses could enhanceeverything from navigation to task management through voice and visual inputs.
Prototypesof the glasses may be ready by the end of this year, with Apple reportedlydeveloping a custom chip specifically for the device. Given Apple’s reputationfor efficient, high-performance silicon, this tailored chip could be key todelivering seamless, all-day usage without compromising on speed or batterylife.
“Theglasses are said to come packed with cameras, microphones and speakers,” Gurmanreported. This combination is expected to bring a host of features that go farbeyond passive display, ushering in an era of active, assistive eyewear.
Interestingly,Gurman also noted that Apple may scrap earlier plans to add a camera to futureApple Watch models. That shift might be strategic, with Apple favouring a morenatural, face-forward device that better captures the user’s perspective.
WhileApple has not confirmed any of these developments—it remains tight-lipped onunannounced products—the report hints that the upcoming glasses could be astepping stone toward a more ambitious future: fully functional AR eyewear.
Bloombergsuggests that these smart glasses are not the final goal but a precursor tomore advanced augmented reality devices. Apple is reportedly working towardcreating lightweight AR spectacles that can seamlessly blend the digital and physicalworlds, much like it did when it turned smartphones into everyday essentials. Should Gurman’s predictions prove accurate, Apple’s smart glasses couldtransform how users interact with technology—making screens on wrists and inhands feel like a thing of the past. Asalways, Apple’s late entry into the smart glasses arena might just be theboldest move yet.