Apple Smart Glasses May Arrive In 2026: Report

Apple is reportedly planning to launch the highly awaited smart glasses next year. According to a report from Bloomberg, the upcoming glasses will feature cameras, microphones, and speakers. At the same time, the report also noted that the company is scrapping plans to put a camera in its Apple Watch devices.

The smart glasses from the Cupertino-based tech giant may also include multimodal AI that could respond to requests via Siri and that can "see" and analyse the environment of the wearer. Bloomberg, citing unnamed people close to the matter, also reported that Apple plans to begin producing prototypes of the glasses by the end of the year. The hands-free device is also expected to include a dedicated, custom-designed chip.

Apple is making the move amid reports that Sam Altman-led OpenAI may launch their first AI devices next year, and rumours suggest that it will be a screenless device with built-in cameras and microphones. As part of this project, Sam Altman has announced the acquisition of io, the AI hardware design company owned by former Apple designer Jony Ive.