Apple’s much-anticipated AR Glasses are expected to be released in 2026. According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the company’s engineers are ramping up work on the glasses as Apple aims to take on the popular Meta and Ray-Ban partnership.
People familiar with the matter told the publication that Cupertino plans to produce prototypes of the Apple AR Glasses in large quantities later this year. These are some of the expected features of the spectacles:
Cameras, microphones, and speakers: Apple’s AR Glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and speakers. The goal is for the glasses to see the world for you and let you interact with it. Much like Meta’s spectacles, you’ll be able to record images, talk to Siri, and hear the reply.
Visual Intelligence capabilities: Apple has been expanding its Visual Intelligence features over the past year with the iPhone 16 and Camera Control. With these upcoming glasses, Cupertino plans to make them even smarter and more aware of your surroundings, following a similar path to Google and OpenAI.
Apple Glasses might have a display: One feature that could set Apple Glasses apart is a built-in display, allowing users to view visual information at a glance. It’s still unclear how Apple plans to achieve this in a compact form, but it could give the device a unique edge.
Integration with other Apple products: Apple Glasses will likely integrate with the iPhone and potentially with the Apple Watch and AirPods as well. While users might view recorded content on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the glasses could also work with the Apple Watch and future AirPods to deliver enhanced health insights.
AI, AI, AI: Visual Intelligence won’t be the only AI feature on this device. While the glasses will rely heavily on AR, the big question is whether Apple can pack all the capabilities into the glasses themselves or if they’ll need to be tethered to an iPhone. Either way, the product’s success will hinge on delivering better Apple Intelligence features, including a truly useful Siri. Right now, Apple still seems a couple of years away from offering a SiriGPT-like assistant.
Honestly, I just hope Apple AR Glasses are cool
While Apple has a futuristic vision for its AR Glasses, which explains the lengthy development, I just want them to be cool. Meta nailed the design, the Ray-Ban partnership, and the AI features. But the best part is that the glasses don’t feel like intimidating tech—they look like something you’d actually want to wear every day.
The cameras also aren’t as distracting as you might expect. We’ve gotten more used to cameras being everywhere, and these feel far less intrusive than they would have just a few years ago.
All that said, more than offering the latest AI features, I hope Apple nails the design and delivers a cool pair of sunglasses people actually want to wear every day.
