Apple smart glasses tipped to launch in 2027 to fight Meta with Visual Intelligence

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AirPods with cameras could also be in Apple's future

Apple Glasses render
(Image credit: Martin Hajek/iDropnews))

Following up on a report from February this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is doubling down on claims that Apple is developing new wearable products, suggesting that it could bring smart glasses and AirPods with cameras to market as early as 2027, as discussed in his latest Power On newsletter.

Said to be a direct competitor to the popular Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Apple's frames are expected to feature in-built cameras designed to work with its upcoming Visual Intelligence technology, set to debut on the iPhone 16 range in the near future.

Visual Intelligence: What to expect

Gurman, a respected Apple insider, said that the Cupertino company is looking to "salvage the billions of dollars spent on the Vision Pro’s visual intelligence technology, which can scan the environment around a user and supply useful data."

In theory, Apple smart glasses seem like next logical step for this technology, as they would allow the user to simply look at an object and ask for more information about it. Presumably, the user would then receive the information via their iPhone screen or listen to a spoken response via their AirPods.

And while it's hard to say how AirPods with cameras could benefit the average user, Gurman has previously stated that the rumored product "would give consumers many of the benefits of smart glasses without needing lenses and frames."

Of course, if Gurman's report is to be believed, we're a few years out from seeing these products go on sale, we may have to settle for the Apple Intelligence features which are expected to arrive with iOS 18.2 in December.

In the meantime, you can access similar features such as the ability to take photos, record video stories, and access an AI voice assistant via the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

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Stephen Lambrechts
Stephen Lambrechts

Stephen Lambrechts is the Managing Editor of Tom's Guide AU and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming for the last 15 years. Before Tom's Guide, he spent several years as a Senior Journalist at TechRadar, had a brief stint as Editor in Chief at Official Xbox Magazine Australia, and has written for such publications as APC, TechLife Australia, T3, FilmInk, AskMen, Daily Telegraph and IGN. He's an expert when it comes to smartphones, TVs, gaming and streaming. In his spare time, he enjoys watching obscure horror movies on physical media, keeping an eye on the latest retro sneaker releases and listening to vinyl. Occasionally, he also indulges in other non-hipster stuff, like hiking.