Apple’s smart glasses will have two cameras, one for capture and the other for computer vision, and launch in early 2027, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports.
Gurman, who has a strong track record of reporting on Apple products in advance of an official reveal, has been tracking the company’s plans to launch a Ray-Ban Meta competitor for well over a year now.
His previous reports described the company’s first glasses as lacking a display, having cameras, microphones and speakers, and being powered by a new Apple-designed chipset, based on the highly efficient S-series chips used in Apple Watch. The product would be used for phone calls, music playback, live translations, turn-by-turn directions, and multimodal AI, which Apple calls Visual Intelligence.
His new report explains how Apple plans to distinguish its hardware from Meta’s: “build quality and camera technology”.
According to Gurman, the device will use “high-end materials” including acrylic elements and have two cameras, one for high-quality image and video capture, and the other for computer vision.
UploadVR’s take on that is that a dedicated computer vision sensor could draw significantly less power than a sensor designed for imaging, and thus be sampled continually for advanced use cases like spatially-aware pedestrian navigation. “Turn left just past that red Honda”, instead of “In 200 meters, turn left”. It might also enable hand gestures without the need for a wristband – though you would need to raise your arm.
Apple is targeting December for mass production of the glasses, Gurman writes, for a launch in early 2027.
Unlike Meta and Google, which are working with established fashionable glasses brands, Apple will be designing its own frames, Gurman claims, with a variety of colors and sizes set to be offered.
David Heaney
The competition won’t be standing still, though. Last year The Information reported that Meta and EssilorLuxottica plan to launch next-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses with a facial recognition feature and the ability to run continuous AI sessions for “hours”.
Meanwhile, Google is set to launch its Gemini-powered smart glasses platform this year, partnering with eyewear companies Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, as well as Samsung, to bring it to market.
The industry is set to see a fierce three-way battle between Meta, Apple, and Google to own the software platform on the glasses the companies hope you’ll wear all day. Is there room for three players, or will it narrow to a two-horse race over time?
