Apple’s plans for smart glasses are still alive, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking anytime soon. According to the latest scoop from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the company is working on a new device, codenamed N50, aiming to bring Apple Intelligence features to a pair of… well, everyday glasses.
The goal? Something closer to Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses than a full-blown AR headset. Think microphones, speakers, and AI-powered smarts, but no fancy displays or holograms floating in front of your eyes. In other words, a solid gadget, but maybe not the future of tech just yet.
A Step Toward True AR… Eventually
Apple has been dreaming about high-end AR glasses for years, but realistically, we’re still several years away from that becoming an actual consumer product. In the meantime, the N50 project seems like a bridge, an easier, more affordable way to dip a toe into the wearable AI space without waiting for futuristic hardware to catch up.
According to Gurman, the glasses will focus on environmental awareness and delivering information to the wearer, but will “stop well short of true augmented reality.” There’s even talk that Apple might skip adding cameras to avoid the inevitable privacy backlash — though that decision hasn’t been finalized yet.
Related: Apple Launches ‘Hill Climb’ Immersive Video for Vision Pro in 8K 3D
Visual Intelligence Is Coming to More Devices
Alongside the smart glasses, Apple is also said to be developing AirPods with built-in cameras, as part of its broader push into “Visual Intelligence”. Both the glasses and the new AirPods could reportedly launch around 2027.
My Take
Honestly, this news feels a little… underwhelming. We’re still a long way from the sci-fi vision of AR glasses changing everything. Apple’s approach seems more cautious than revolutionary right now and maybe wisely so, but if you were hoping for something truly next-gen, you might be waiting a few more years.
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