Apple plans to introduce smart glasses built around Siri and its app ecosystem rather than an augmented-reality display.
Apple Prototypes Feature Thinner Frames and Privacy Lights
Internal test units are slightly thinner than Meta’s second-generation Ray-Ban glasses, featuring cameras housed in oval-shaped openings that sit flush with the frame instead of protruding from it.
Prototypes also utilize a MagSafe-like charging connector.
A front-facing light indicates when the eyewear is actively recording or charging, serving as part of Apple’s privacy-focused design experiments. Alongside style, privacy, and audio quality, the company is also hoping that Wi-Fi connectivity will grant users a certain amount of freedom.
The glasses have Wi-Fi, allowing certain functions outside of third-party apps to continue working when the iPhone isn’t nearby, allowing users to theoretically keep listening to audio over Wi-Fi after walking away from their phones, though the eyewear won’t operate as a fully independent device.
Siri AI and iPhone Connectivity Drive Device Functionality
The device will rely heavily on a nearby iPhone for executing tasks, though built-in Wi-Fi will allow certain functions to operate independently when the phone is out of range, 9to5Mac reported. Bloomberg describes the product as an AI-focused wearable tailored to Siri AI and the Apple ecosystem, featuring a microphone and speaker alongside low-resolution cameras while omitting AR capabilities.
“To win, Apple needs to evolve Siri into the orchestration layer of the iPhone,” Mohan wrote in the report.
To prepare for the launch, Apple’s iOS 27.3 developer preview introduces expanded App Intents that let developers test advanced Siri actions ahead of an expected release. Apple is laying the groundwork for proper third-party app integration within Siri, rather than just relying on Siri Shortcuts, ensuring support for a range of third-party integrations by the time the glasses are released.
TCB Devices Confirms Work on Apple Hardware Projects
Supply chain involvement surfaced prematurely when TCB Devices published its Q3 2026 financial results, confirming work on unannounced hardware through a filing covered by iFeng that noted increased demand in the semiconductor, optical communication, and data center industries.
“The company has participated in Apple’s AI glasses and new smart earphone projects, which will help drive related businesses such as precision welding assembly and machine vision inspection,” the filing stated.
Apple plans to unveil the product at its next WWDC event before bringing it to the market by the end of next year, with the smart glasses anticipated for a launch as soon as the first quarter of 2027 according to external media reports.
Earlier coverage: Google and Samsung to Launch AI Smart Glasses in December