It looks like Apple is still thinking about making smart glasses, similar to the ones Meta sells with Ray-Ban. According to tech expert Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring this idea.
These glasses wouldn’t be like the Apple Vision Pro, which shows you digital things in your real world. Instead, they’d be simpler. Think of them as regular glasses with AI, microphones, and cameras built-in. This could give users a pretty good experience, Gurman says.
“If Apple can make these glasses look good, sound great like AirPods, and work perfectly with iPhones, they could be a big hit,” Gurman believes. “It’s surprising they haven’t made them yet.”
Apple first wanted to make smart glasses that looked normal but showed augmented reality, like adding digital images to your view. However, they stopped working on that earlier this year. The original plan was to use the iPhone as the power source, but the iPhone wasn’t strong enough or had enough battery. Then, they tried using a Mac, but Apple leaders didn’t think that was a good idea, so they stopped that project too.
Gurman also shared that Apple is testing these glasses with people in their offices. They want to see what features people like and how they use them. They’re also working on a special software, called visionOS, for these glasses. These tests are being done by Apple’s team that checks the quality of their products.
Apple seems to think that making these simpler smart glasses could help them learn how to make real AR glasses in the future. Apple has been talking about AR glasses for a long time, and the Vision Pro is what they made because the technology for the AR glasses they really want isn’t ready yet.
Also, Apple is still working on a product that combines AirPods with cameras, Gurman says. The cameras would help AI features by seeing what’s around you, just like how iPhones use cameras to understand your environment.