Apple is intensifying its efforts in the realm of wearable augmented-reality technology, redirecting considerable resources toward the rapid development of smart glasses that could serve as a direct competitor to similar products already available on the market from Meta. According to a detailed report by Bloomberg, this strategic pivot also involves the cancellation of Apple’s previously rumored plans to introduce a lighter, more streamlined version of its Vision Pro headset. Instead, attention and manpower are now being concentrated on advancing multiple prototypes of the forthcoming glasses, signaling a decisive shift in Apple’s product priorities.
At present, the company is reported to be simultaneously pursuing at least two distinct versions of these smart glasses. The first model, which would not integrate an internal display, is slated for a potential public reveal as early as next year, with a commercial launch targeted for 2027. The second and more ambitious iteration—one that does incorporate a built‑in display—had originally been planned for release in 2028; however, Apple is now seeking to expedite its timeline for this model, indicating an urgency to bring it to market sooner than initially anticipated. This acceleration underscores Apple’s recognition of both the competitive landscape and the growing consumer appetite for unobtrusive, everyday wearable technology that extends beyond traditional headsets.
Drawing clear inspiration from Meta’s collaboration with iconic eyewear brands such as Ray‑Ban and Oakley, Apple’s smart glasses are expected to embody a similar blend of style and functionality. Bloomberg’s reporting suggests that these glasses will be equipped with small integrated speakers to provide audio features, embedded cameras for capturing the world around the wearer, and various form factors to accommodate different stylistic preferences. Crucially, the devices will also place significant emphasis on hands‑free interaction: voice commands and artificial intelligence‑powered systems are projected to play a central role in their operation, mitigating the need for complex manual inputs and enhancing their potential to seamlessly integrate into daily life. For the iteration that includes a display, Apple views this as a credible opportunity to compete directly with Meta’s Ray‑Ban glasses featuring a display embedded within the right lens, potentially carving out its own position at the forefront of the emerging smart eyewear sector. In pursuit of superior performance, Apple has additionally been designing a specialized chip tailored exclusively for these glasses—an approach consistent with its broader hardware philosophy of crafting proprietary silicon optimized for each product category.
Despite these ambitious developments, Apple enters this market as a relative latecomer. Meta has already unveiled a comprehensive lineup of new smart glasses, positioning itself ahead of competitors in consumer adoption. Recent announcements from Meta highlighted several product advancements, including the introduction of the second‑generation Ray‑Ban Meta glasses. These new models feature substantially improved battery life, thereby alleviating one of the most persistent criticisms of first‑generation wearables. Additionally, Meta introduced Oakley‑branded smart glasses engineered specifically with athletes in mind, set to become available shortly, and further revealed the Meta Ray‑Ban Display glasses. The latter product has already garnered critical acclaim, with technology journalists noting its impressive execution and overall usability; one such evaluator even identified it as the most accomplished pair of smart glasses they had ever tested. Against this backdrop, Apple recognizes the necessity of pressing forward aggressively if it hopes to establish itself as a credible alternative to Meta’s widening portfolio.
In light of this reallocation of resources, the proposed lighter Vision Pro headset—a product that had once been rumored for release in 2027—no longer appears to be a near‑term priority. Internally, Apple has informed employees that staff members who were previously focused on the development of the lighter Vision Pro have now been reassigned to accelerate progress on the smart glasses project. Reports also indicate that Apple has scaled back manufacturing output of the original Vision Pro headset, suggesting a strategic recalibration rather than the intensive production push that might have been expected for a flagship device. Nevertheless, regulatory filings that surfaced this week reveal that Apple has not completely abandoned the Vision Pro line; instead, a new model is indeed under development. Bloomberg characterizes this revision as a relatively modest update—less a sweeping reinvention than an incremental refinement—that may still enter the market by the end of the current year, providing continuity for the product line while Apple prioritizes its longer‑term ambitions in the wearable glasses domain.
Taken together, these maneuvers illustrate a company intent on reshaping its approach to spatial computing. For Apple, the future seems increasingly defined not by bulky head‑mounted displays but by seamless, stylish, and lightweight smart eyewear capable of merging advanced hardware, naturalistic voice interfaces, and artificial intelligence into a single, unobtrusive form factor. If successful, this direction could herald the transition from niche headsets to ubiquitous consumer devices, thereby expanding the everyday possibilities for augmented reality and further igniting competition in a rapidly evolving sector.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/790285/apple-smart-glasses-vision-pro
