Apple could launch its first smart glasses in 2026

Apple has reportedly decided to focus on developing a pair of augmented reality glasses, shifting current teams working on the next generation of virtual reality headsets, the Vision Pro, to this project.

According to Bloomberg sources, the American giant does not want to lose much ground to Meta, which recently introduced the Meta Ray-Ban Display, the first model equipped with a screen to receive notifications and perform tasks using your voice.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple had planned to launch the glasses in 2027, but Meta's strategy pushed it to anticipate the timing.

The company had been working on a cheaper, lighter version of the headphones, Bloomberg reports, but announced internally last week that it was shifting staff from that project to accelerate work on the glasses. The upcoming models could challenge smartphones, and Apple wants to be ready.

The company is working on at least two types of smart glasses. The first, called the N50, will connect to an iPhone and will not have its own screen. Apple aims to introduce this model as early as next year, ahead of a planned launch in 2027, ANSA writes.

The timing would not be coincidental, given that an updated version of Siri, Apple's digital assistant, is expected in 2026, which should be enhanced with generative artificial intelligence models and represent the center of the user experience in both the headset and the glasses.

Engadget reminds us that Apple isn't abandoning the Vision Pro. "The U.S. Federal Communications Commission recently published documents that reference an updated Apple face monitor," it writes, "most likely a lighter version of the original headset, which costs $3,499."