Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know About Apple's Answer to Meta Ray-Bans

[transpo1]

smartphones were not dumb before the iPhone. That wasn’t the reason why they didn’t become mainstream, but the iPhone did and every other phonecmamufacruer then copied the iPhone.

Smartphones before the iPhone were a nice product because of the interface. A lot of the pre-iPhone devices ran on Windows CE, so a cut down OS but modelunek on MS Windows. Irrespective of what you thought of Windows at the time, the UX did not transfer well to a phone-sized device, and, outside of tech enthusiasts, people didn’t really want to do „Windowsy” tasks on a phone. It was easier to do those on a PC.

What Apple got right was working out what the general public wanted to use their smartphones for. That’s not about „smart” or „dumb”, it’s about properly understanding your target market.

So they were a niche product with a horrible interface, they had no idea what the general public wanted to use them for, and yet those "smartphones" were not dumb, they were smart? )

Apple nailed the what / how / why of the product category and redefined it and everything afterwards shifted. You can see it in the before / after pictures of smartphones pre-iPhone and post-iPhone era. (And we don't even have to mention Android, which blatantly ripped off iPhone and iOS.)

As Jobs said about pre-iPhone smartphones in 2007, "The problem is they're not so smart and they're not so easy to use."

By your calculations, we can also add "they had no idea what the general public wanted to use them for." These phones may have been useful for a niche audience but we can't call them "smart."

 

[Happy_John]

So they were a niche product with a horrible interface, they had no idea what the general public wanted to use them for, and yet those "smartphones" were not dumb, they were smart? )

Apple nailed the what / how / why of the product category and redefined it and everything afterwards shifted. You can see it in the before / after pictures of smartphones pre-iPhone and post-iPhone era. (And we don't even have to mention Android, which blatantly ripped off iPhone and iOS.)

As Jobs said about pre-iPhone smartphones in 2007, "The problem is they're not so smart and they're not so easy to use."

By your calculations, we can also add "they had no idea what the general public wanted to use them for." These phones may have been useful for a niche audience but we can't call them "smart."

What does „dumb” and „smart” mean in the context of phones and technology?

Not what you’re presenting it as.

„Smart” doesn’t mean „intuitive”. „Smart” means „Internet enabled” - also in “smart home” and “smart watch”.

 

[transpo1]

What does „dumb” and „smart” mean in the context of phones and technology?

Not what you’re presenting it as.

„Smart” doesn’t mean „intuitive”. „Smart” means „Internet enabled” - also in “smart home” and “smart watch”.

In the context of phones and technology:

Before the iPhone, smart meant "internet enabled." After the iPhone, smart meant intuitive, easy to use, touch-screen device, and product that the general public understands and wants.

The iPhone made everything that came before seem dumb.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Smartphone vs Dumb-phone (feature phone) is simply about capabilities.

Running full blown Apps & games, watching videos, full featured web browsing, more complex and desktop OS like interfaces, etc.

The distinction really has nothing to do with how intuitive or internet enabled a device is.

 

[transpo1]

Smartphone vs Dumb-phone (feature phone) is simply about capabilities.

Running full blown Apps & games, watching videos, full featured web browsing, more complex and desktop OS like interfaces, etc.

The distinction really has nothing to do with how intuitive or internet enabled a device is.

That's a fair interpretation but then you have to define: what is a full-blown app? Before the iPhone, smartphones ran what Jobs called "the baby internet." Did that constitute a full-blown app or full featured web browsing? Definitely not. All the things you mentioned didn't seem to come about until the iPhone.

 

[Happy_John]

That's a fair interpretation but then you have to define: what is a full-blown app? Before the iPhone, smartphones ran what Jobs called "the baby internet." Did that constitute a full-blown app or full featured web browsing? Definitely not. All the things you mentioned didn't seem to come about until the iPhone.

No, but again it depends what you mean by the internet - earlier Windows CE "smartphones" ( usually HTCs/XDAs rebranded to the carrier that soft them) could run a "full-fat" terminal, something iPhones couldn't without having been jailbroken. They could run FTP clients. They were fully-fledged network devices. In certain ways they had more functionality than an iPhone. They problem was that these weren't functions that general consumers wanted.

Neither WAP phones nor VOIP phones were smartphones. I think that's a very important distinction to make.

And that was the change the iPhone ushered in. Making the device far more relevant to mass consumers needs. But smartphones didn't start with iPhones, the term smartphphone now might mean "powerful multimedia device", but that wasn't what the term meant originally. It meant a phone-sized computer with computer functionality, and internet capability was a necessary requirement for such a device to be a smartphone.

An iPod classic couldn't ever be described as a smartphone, but the iPod touch was edging into that territory, as it was an iPhone, but one without any cellular modem or means of connecting to a SIM.

 

[Criscoso]

Apple is working on a set of smart glasses that will rival Meta's popular AI-equipped Ray-Bans, offering many of the same features. Rumors about Apple's work on the glasses have been picking up, and we've gathered all of the information we've heard in the guide below.

Overview

There have been persistent rumors about Apple's work on augmented reality smart glasses, but true, lightweight augmented reality glasses are still years away. What's feasible now is a set of smart glasses that don't have any display functions, and that instead rely on cameras, speakers, AI integration, and sensors to offer useful features to wearers.

Apple's first smart glasses will be an iPhone accessory like the Apple Watch or AirPods, able to provide auxiliary features to reduce iPhone reliance.

Design

Apple plans to offer multiple material and frame options, making the smart glasses as much of a fashion accessory as the Apple Watch once was. Buyers will be able to choose their preferred color and frame style, selecting from metal and plastic frame options.

Apple is apparently testing 3D printing technology for manufacturing, but the glasses will need to be able to accommodate a battery, a chip, a camera, a microphone, speakers, and other technology, so that might limit how slim and lightweight Apple can make the glasses.

It's likely that Apple will offer both standard lenses and sunglasses, and based on the Vision Pro, Apple will also support prescription lenses. There's already a mechanism in place for ordering custom Vision Pro lenses through Zeiss, so Apple could expand that to cover the smart glasses as well.

Cameras and microphones will be included, and there is likely to be an LED light that indicates when the camera is active so no one can secretly record you.

Controls

The glasses are expected to support touch-based controls, such as a tap to snap a photo, and voice-based controls that take advantage of Siri.

Features

Here's what you'll be able to do with Apple's smart glasses, based on what we know so far:

• Take photos
• Record video, including spatial video
• Listen to audio
• Get directions
• Get answers to questions
• Get descriptions of the surroundings
• Identify plants, animals, landmarks and more
• Make phone calls
• Live translation
• Find My integration (not rumored, but likely)

iPhone Reliance

Apple's smart glasses may need a connection to an iPhone to provide functionality like music playback and AI assistance, though they will have some on-device capabilities. Apple is designing a custom SoC for the glasses that's based on the chip in the Apple Watch.

AI Integration

The cameras in Apple's smart glasses will be able to feed information to an AI assistant. The AI will be able to answer questions about what the wearer is seeing, similar to how Visual Intelligence works on the iPhone today.

AI will be able to control the glasses and do things like snap a photo or play music, plus it will be able to provide directions.

Pricing

There's no word on what the smart glasses will cost, but somewhere in the AirPods to Apple Watch range would make sense. Meta's glasses are priced starting at $380.

Competition

Apple's main competition will be the Meta Ray-Bans and the Meta Oakleys. Meta teamed up with popular sunglasses manufacturers and its smart glasses have proven popular with customers.

The Meta Ray-Bans use the traditional Wayfarer style and come in a range of colors, plus there are other frame options available as well.

Launch Date

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman initially said Apple could introduce the smart glasses as soon as 2026, but now he believes Apple will show off the glasses in 2026 and launch them in 2027. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn't expect the glasses to come out until 2027.

Future Features

Apple's first smart glasses will not include augmented reality capabilities, but a future version could integrate a display that would overlay digital information on the real world view. A second-generation model with a display could launch as soon as 2028.

A second-generation version of the smart glasses with an in-lens display may have separate modes depending on what device it's connected to. The glasses could run visionOS when paired with a Mac, and then use a more lightweight, mobile-friendly interface when paired with an iPhone.

Augmented reality glasses are a longtime goal of Apple's, and it is technology that the company is actively pursuing.

Article Link: Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know About Apple's Answer to Meta Ray-Bans

In my opinion smart glasses are a no-go.
I understand the benefits, be the trade offs are too important, the invasion of privacy will be so stunning.
The firsts tests on meta’s are scary, people getting info about anyone on the street in seconds, all your online data, etc.
If I meet someone, or someone approaches me with one of those glasses on, I will ask them to put that off, or I’ll just go away.
In my opinion because you can do something with tech doesn’t mean you have to, sometimes it’s just not right.