With a strategy that seems to mirror, both in strengths and weaknesses (see the troubled chapter of headsets), that of Meta, further fueling suspicions of those who claim that Apple has lost its ability to innovate and lead the market, the Cupertino company is now reportedly chasing Menlo Park in the emerging sector of smart glasses. But since the gap with the Big Tech founded by Mark Zuckerberg is now considerable, the bitten Apple would have decided to focus mainly on design, reviving one of the strengths of its offering.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT APPLE’S SMART GLASSES
The revelation comes from the usual well-informed Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who reports that a wearable device, codenamed N50, is in an advanced stage of development, capable of taking photos, recording videos, connecting the user with a virtual assistant to manage calls, play music, and keep track of notifications, all without touching any screen.
BITTEN APPLE PUNCTUALLY LATE TO THE COMPETITION
It is unclear whether the delay compared to Meta’s smart glasses is due to Apple pushing sales of its failed VR headset Vision Pro until the last moment, also developing cheaper alternatives and subsequent models, or if it should be attributed to the numerous problems Cupertino has undeniably had in the development of its proprietary AI, including the AI-enhanced Siri repeatedly postponed and currently expected with iOS 27. It will, in fact, be Siri, it seems, that will allow the N50 smart glasses to read the surrounding environment.
ALL IN ON DESIGN (WITHOUT TOO MANY SURPRISES)
In any case, according to Bloomberg, the N50s should be announced between late 2026 and early 2027 – thus not at the event expected immediately after summer – and then marketed during the same year.
The most interesting aspect, given that Apple has always focused on design, is that according to rumors, compared to Meta, Cupertino will offer several types of frames, naturally in different colors, to meet the tastes of a particularly varied audience. Nothing is anticipated about the suggested retail prices, which could prove crucial in Apple’s strategy to establish itself in a relatively virgin market.
