Apple Planning Smart Glasses and AirPods With Cameras for 2027

[MacRumors]

Apple is working on smart glasses and AirPods with built-in cameras for a potential release in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The devices are said to be part of Apple's efforts to expand its augmented reality product lineup beyond the Vision Pro headset with something that has wider appeal.

The push for new AR products comes as the Vision Pro faces challenges in the market. Many users find the $3,500 headset too heavy for extended use, expensive, and prone to overheating, relegating it to niche status. Interest in the device has reportedly waned since its launch, with sales falling short of Apple's expectations.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reports that Apple's Vision Products Group is now looking beyond the Vision Pro and considering launching smart glasses comparable to Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration. The smart glasses and camera-equipped AirPods are intended to make use of the billions of dollars invested in the Vision Pro's visual intelligence capabilities. This technology allows devices to analyze their surroundings and provide relevant information to users.

A software update coming later this year will bring a similar feature to iPhone 16 models: Users will be able to open the Camera app and point it at an object to get information about that object with a click and hold gesture. Pointing it at a restaurant, for example, will bring up hours and ratings, while pointing it at a plant will identify the plant. Using visual control with something that has a date, such as a flyer, will add the date to the Calendar app.

Apple's smart glasses and AirPods with cameras are still in the planning stages, but are said to represent Apple's strategy to bring augmented reality features to more accessible form factors. The company is reportedly concerned about its current position in the AR market, with Meta already offering smart glasses at a lower price point.

Gurman also mentioned Apple's plans for nearer-term Vision Pro iterations. A lower-cost version of the headset, priced around $2,000, could arrive as early as next year, while a second-generation Vision Pro with an upgraded processor is reportedly slated for 2026.

Article Link: Apple Planning Smart Glasses and AirPods With Cameras for 2027

 

[stocklen]

Must be fun to be Mark.

Make up any old Tutt and say its a few years away with no repercussions or people picking him up on when its total fantasy.

Cameras in AirPods? really?
Has he thought about this Nostradamus level prediction?
How does this work for people with long hair? Those cameras are going to have a great view.
Privacy? Apple's main thing is privacy. Cameras in AirPods that you can wear to the gym and have on in the changing rooms/showers? Really?

This is one of the 'Gurman grains of salt' predictions that we get a lot of.

 

[CrysisDeu]

lol too slow.. good luck
I would buy one if they released last year

 

[goobot]

No way they can make a worthwhile pair of smart glasses that quickly, try 10 years from now maybe

 

[Anaxarxes]

Must be fun to be Mark.

Make up any old Tutt and say its a few years away with no repercussions or people picking him up on when its total fantasy.

Cameras in AirPods? really?
Has he thought about this Nostradamus level prediction?
How does this work for people with long hair? Those cameras are going to have a great view.
Privacy? Apple's main thing is privacy. Cameras in AirPods that you can wear to the gym and have on in the changing rooms/showers? Really?

This is one of the 'Gurman grains of salt' predictions that we get a lot of.

Maybe they are the same device? Glasses combined with integrated airpods with camera integration in the frame?

This actually could be a good starting point to integrate more battery and hold a testbed for a True AR system for the future of AVP as well.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

Maybe they are the same device? Glasses combined with integrated airpods with camera integration in the frame?

I looked through the original article by Gurman, and he did meant actual Airpods with built-in camera. So they’re separate from the smart glasses.

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

i have the meta ray band glasses and use them daily. Yes the battery life could be better, but it take a decent enough photo and the Ai isnt terrible. I dont see why apple cant do the same thing with more intergrated features for around the same price.

Hell apple could set the market for them. As much as i love the glasses, id love to see apples take on it, and have it be more refined.

as for a cheeper apple vision pro...by all means id buy one in a heart beat for 2K granted its not so watered down from the pro to make it a shallow joke of itself.

I think apple could do it. Make it plastic, ditch that awful eyeSight gimic on the front, even if it took a hit to the resolution and was in the same league as the meta quest 3 (which i also own) it be so much worth it just for watching movies and music and media.

it truly is sad and pathetic Meta, a company i dislike for its privacy issues, has 2 wonderful products i use daily, that i feel are fairly priced given what they do.

I use the glasses daily. every time i go for a walk, im wearing them listing to my music off my iphone, down at the beach.

I use the meta quest 3 to work out, play boxing games, view spacial videos and panoramic photos i take using my iphone, daily.

If apple made those two devices using the "it just works" ecosystem with text, music, photos, apps, id be in heaven!

It pisses me off i have this wonderful meta headset i cant watch my apple store bought movies on, or i have to go though this long drawn out process of sending my photos or videos to via android connect, to the headset.

If i could spend...2500 dollars or so on both the apple version VR/AR Headset and glasses and have everything connected, id be totally sold on that even if it is a hit to rsolution of the headset!

It still be worth it to me for the price!

 

[sc00ba]

Whenever I hear smart glasses the first thing I remember Google Glass which was released to the public in 2014, not to mention the lighthearted nick name wearers of Google's smart glasses received.

 

[JPack]

AirPods will have IR cameras, not RGB. Kao talked about this months ago. Will allow in-air gestures.

 

[wanha]

I'm all for Gurman's product rumors, but I can't stand his Apple commentary of late.

In this particular newsletter, he first writes:

"Apple blew billions on a car project that it shut down earlier this year, and the company’s Vision Pro hasn’t yet proved that a face-worn technology can be a hit."

But then later in the same newsletter goes on to say:

"The company has a stable base of revenue, at nearly $400 billion a year, but Apple can’t coast forever."

Well which one is it, Mark? Is Apple coasting or is Apple blowing billions on trying to find/create new product categories?

 

[Funny Apple Man]

AirPods will have IR cameras, not RGB. Kao talked about this months ago. Will allow in-air gestures.

That makes a lot more sense then.

This and Gurman’s article didn’t say they were IR cameras so that got me so puzzled.

 

[davie18]

No way they can make a worthwhile pair of smart glasses that quickly, try 10 years from now maybe

Define ‘worthwhile’.

I own a pair of meta ray bans and I love them and use them every day.

 

[SanderEvers]

Meh. This whole new "industry" feels like Apple grasping at straws with overpriced junk. Honestly, these products aren't worth the name "Apple".

 

[Funny Apple Man]

Gurman also mentioned Apple's plans for nearer-term Vision Pro iterations. A lower-cost version of the headset, priced around $2,000, could arrive as early as next year, while a second-generation Vision Pro with an upgraded processor is reportedly slated for 2026.

$2000 geez, thats still a big asking price when compared to what Meta is offering.

Can’t they just use the much cheaper LCD for the non-pro Vision headset? LCD will still look good as long as they’re using pancake lenses.

 

[Anaxarxes]

I looked through the original article by Gurman, and he did meant actual Airpods with built-in camera. So they’re separate from the smart glasses.

rumors could be far from actual products

 

[Funny Apple Man]

rumors could be far from actual products

View attachment 2437074

Right. Lot can change within 3 years.

I hope Gurman is dead wrong on the $2000 price of the non-pro Vision headset.

 

[jclardy]

No way they can make a worthwhile pair of smart glasses that quickly, try 10 years from now maybe

"Smart glasses" akin to the already existing meta ray-bans. Basically headphones + camera + sunglasses in one device.

It makes a lot of sense - replace an object that people already use (sunglasses) with a "smart" version, then you can make apple intelligence accessible hands free. The initial glasses aren't going to replace the "Vision" series, they will be an internal AirPods competitor.

 

[cicalinarrot]

The AirPods' cameras will be recording the inside of my ears?

 

[Onelifenofear]

Meta glasses prove it's possible... albeit at $10-50K currently ( depends on the source )

Waveguide. Direct projection are all display tectonic being developed.

Cameras like endoscope cameras can be 1mm cubed pushing the processing elsewhere.

At some point these will be ordinary glasses wirelessly connecting to iPhones for that processing.

 

[Onelifenofear]

The AirPods' cameras will be recording the inside of my ears?

IR Cameras for gesture control.

 

[unchecked]

Define ‘worthwhile’.

I own a pair of meta ray bans and I love them and use them every day.

Everyone’s definition of worth is unique to themselves. If the glasses are priced around those ray bans in the $350~450 range then maybe there’s hope. But I think we all can agree Apple’s going to price themselves out, again.

 

[subjonas]

If these are just camera/speaker/AI glasses, I'm not really interested. If these are actual AR glasses, I'm very curious how they're going to pull it off that quickly.

 

[Anaxarxes]

The AirPods' cameras will be recording the inside of my ears?

why would that be your first idea?

 

[Ctrlos]

AirPods will have IR cameras, not RGB. Kao talked about this months ago. Will allow in-air gestures.

I look forward to watching people on public transport attempt the dance to 'Tragedy' by the BeeGees as they skip tracks

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

From another thread:

This is basically what I'm waiting for.

Make the AR Glasses - that look and feel like glasses, and support prescriptions - with built in screens and some added cameras, lidars, etc. and use the iPhone for processing power (making the glasses use as little power as needed, so they need as small and light batteries as possible, even though "all day" batteries might be too much to hope for in generation 1).

There are some privacy issues to be sorted out to make these glasses truly AR, but I don't think that will be a big hurdle...

Now, if Apple comes out with something like this I'm easily spending at least (the equivalent of) $3000, maybe even $4000 including prescriptions on this.

As a teacher, having the glasses know every student in class and prompting the name for me, to aid in learning all the names alone would make it worth it...