Apple accelerates development of AI smart glasses to compete with Meta’s Ray-Ban line, targeting a 2026 release with advanced Siri integration and premium design.
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| Apple is preparing AI-integrated smart glasses to rival Meta, focusing on real-time features and sleek hardware. Launch expected by 2026 with in-house AI pending. Image: CH |
Cupertino, USA — May 23, 2025:
Apple is accelerating its push into the augmented wearables market by fast-tracking development of its own AI-powered smart glasses, aiming for a launch by the end of 2026. The move is seen as a direct challenge to Meta’s popular Ray-Ban smart glasses, signaling Apple’s intent to reclaim leadership in next-gen consumer technology.
According to a Bloomberg report, mass prototyping is set to begin later this year. The product, internally managed by Apple’s Vision Products Group—the same team behind the Apple Vision Pro—will feature cameras, microphones, and speakers seamlessly built into the eyeglass frame. These elements will allow users to interact with their surroundings using Siri, Apple’s digital assistant.
The initial release is expected to support core functionalities such as making phone calls, streaming music, real-time navigation, and live language translation—mirroring many features found in Meta’s AI eyewear. However, Apple is said to be focusing on superior hardware quality, with one insider describing the glasses as “similar to the Meta product but better made.”
While Apple has not formally confirmed the product, the aggressive timeline and scale of development indicate a growing urgency within the company to establish itself in the increasingly competitive AI wearables space. Meta and Google have already gained momentum, thanks in part to their in-house AI models—Llama and Gemini respectively—that power their devices.
In contrast, Apple currently relies on partnerships with OpenAI and Google to provide backend visual intelligence for features like Visual Look Up on the iPhone. Though functional, these external integrations are viewed as a temporary stopgap.
Apple is expected to unveil its own foundational AI model at WWDC 2025 as part of a broader “Apple Intelligence” platform. Whether this new model will be capable of powering real-time, on-device analysis for smart glasses remains uncertain. The success of that rollout could ultimately determine whether Apple’s upcoming wearable can set itself apart—or fall behind.
As the race for smart wearables intensifies, Apple’s leap into AI glasses could reshape the future of personal computing—provided its software evolution keeps pace with its hardware ambitions.