According to the latest report from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple has currently adjusted the launch time target of its first smart glasses to "late 2027", which is delayed compared to the previous expectation of "shipping as early as early 2027". According to reports, the product encountered progress delays during the development process, which was the main reason for the postponement of the schedule.
Gurman quoted sources as saying that the smart glasses will be equipped with an "elliptical camera", a variety of unique colors and a variety of frame styles. Apple hopes to differentiate its design from existing smart glasses products. From a long-term planning perspective, Apple believes that the glasses are expected to evolve into a health device in the future, and gradually add augmented reality (AR) capabilities to improve users’ visual experience. However, it is believed that related technologies will take many years to mature.
Within the company, the glasses are seen as a "top priority project" for current Apple CEO Tim Cook before he plans to pass the "baton" to hardware chief John Ternus on September 1. Gurman's report states that Cook sees this product as one of the important finishing touches of his tenure.
From the perspective of market positioning, Apple Intelligence glasses are expected to target products priced between $200 and $500 in the U.S. market. One of the direct competitors is the smart glasses series currently launched by Meta and Ray-Ban. Similar to Meta Ray-Ban, Apple Glasses will also have a built-in camera for taking photos and videos, as well as speakers and microphones to support music playback, phone calls, and notifications broadcast by Siri. In addition, the product is also expected to support scenarios such as walking navigation, such as providing turn-by-turn tips and other route guidance functions.
In terms of industrial design, Apple reportedly designs its own plastic frames and has tested at least four styling versions, including a large rectangular frame similar to the Ray-Ban Wayfarer, a slimmer rectangular design similar to Tim Cook's daily glasses, and large and small oval or round frames. In terms of color, Apple is exploring various color schemes such as black, ocean blue, and light brown, and is considering using vertically arranged oval camera openings to distinguish it from the appearance of traditional glasses.
It is worth noting that unlike the latest generation of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, Gurman said that Apple’s first smart glasses are not expected to integrate AR display functions into the lenses. He believes that Apple will not add an in-lens augmented reality display to this product in the next few years, which means that the early version is closer to "smart glasses with camera and audio functions" rather than a complete AR headset.