Apple Plans Glasses for 2026 as Part of AI Push, Nixes Watch With Camera

Apple is aiming to release smart glasses at the end of next year as part of a push into AI-enhanced gadgets, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, but it has shelved plans for a smartwatch that can analyze its surroundings with a built-in camera. From the report: Company engineers are ramping up work on the glasses -- a rival to Meta Platforms's popular Ray-Bans -- in a bid to meet the year-end 2026 target, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Apple will start producing large quantities of prototypes at the end of this year with overseas suppliers, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the products haven't been announced.

Given how great Apple intelligence is..

[luvirini]

...I am sure that the glasses will be showcased in 2026, ship later in the year, and not have any of it's basic functionality a year later.

Re:

[cayenne8]

I saw the Google AI android glasses presentation yesterday ....it was pretty smart of them pairing up with Warby Parker and some other glasses place, has to do something with "monsters".....

I wonder if Apple will do the actual frames with an actual frames company...so as to keep them on the stylish end of things?

I figure the tech is good enough here to dip a toe in the water. I'll see what the google offering looks like on release....and then wait for the Apple one...and maybe I'll play with that.

Howeve

Not sure this is good...

[SuperKendall]

Apple has always been at it's best when it's refining existing stuff, or exploring new areas.

But just working on smart glasses now and abandoning something unique like an AI watch, feels a bit more like they are chasing what Meta is doing, rather than refining anything.

I guess we'll get a better idea of what is really going on at WWDC as new directions are unveiled.

Rival glasses

[Shakes Fist]

So, if I start selling glasses/hats with superbright IR lamps, I'll get rich?

Re:

[cayenne8]

So, if I start selling glasses/hats with superbright IR lamps, I'll get rich?

If you're talking about these items for use as a 'privacy' type shield from the prevalence of cameras....I'd think there's be a HUGE market for that already with all the cameras up everywhere!!!

Hell if it worked I'd be a customer.....I've long wanted a bright array of IR lamps to put around my license plate holder to blow out traffic cameras....

It is getting soon where we need to have the "Scramble Suit" set up like in A Scanner

Re:

[Shakes Fist]

https://www.blackoakled.com/pr... [blackoakled.com] is designed to be mounted on the vehicle. I can find individual IR LED's but not yet any 6-12" flexible strips

Re:

[timholman]

I've long wanted a bright array of IR lamps to put around my license plate holder to blow out traffic cameras....

Too late for that. Camera manufacturers are transitioning to white light illumination with IR filters due to the prevalence of 3M printed plates which have terrible IR reflectivity. They'll even read paper plates at night.

You need to learn to walk before running.

[SeaFox]

Hey Apple, how about you get the basic "AI" thing actually working properly on your preexisting devices before you worry about new hardware products? Wont you be embarrassed if you release a new AI-reliant product and then the "AI" part is a miserable failure.

Might not be able to escape a class-action lawsuit if something like that happens. At least the iPhone is still a phone, music player, camera, PDA and internet device without working AI.

Two things.

[mrthoughtful]

First of all, while I love most stuff that is apple - It's AI is poor. Really poor. Siri has not improved much over the last few years, and given the investment into neural net chips, that's all a bit disappointing. In fairness, dictation has improved somewhat, as long as one uses the vocabulary of a 15 year old. And Meta. Meta's Ray-Bans can hardly be called 'popular'. Meta is finding it really hard to leverage the VR/AR market, despite having invested in some amazing kit which is subsidised to the c

Re:

[Austerity Empowers]

There's some serious marketing astroturfing behind the ray-ban style concepts. I have never seen anyone wearing these in the wild, just a lot of conspicuous product placement on high-profile people. I don't doubt people want workable AR, but that's not really what that product offers, at all. Possibly it can cross the threshold of "kinda useful" with good AI, but I'm still not sure it would be anything more than a toy.

Meanwhile, actual VR or AR, is getting a lot better, but there seems to be marketing money