Summary of the latest rumors about Apple Glasses: It will be unveiled in 2026, focusing on AI and ecosystem synergy.

As the competition in the smart wearable device market becomes increasingly fierce, there have been numerous key information leaks about Apple's first smart glasses, Apple Glasses, recently.

According to multiple foreign media outlets such as 9to5Mac, citing sources familiar with the matter, this product, codenamed "Project Atlas" internally at Apple, is expected to be officially announced at the WWDC conference in 2026 and will start mass production and hit the market in 2027. Some supply chain sources even mentioned that an official preview might be released by the end of 2025.

Notably, to fully promote this project, Apple has suspended the development of the lightweight version of Vision Pro, Vision Air. It can be seen that Apple has accelerated its strategic tilt towards the smart glasses market.

AI + Siri + Camera

Different from the previously high - end spatial computing - positioned Vision Pro, Apple Glasses has chosen a more pragmatic product path. It completely abandons the built - in display design and does not emphasize the augmented reality experience. Instead, it is positioned as an AI and audio - centric wearable accessory that relies on the iPhone. This direction highly aligns with the successful model of Meta's Ray - Ban smart glasses and better meets the current needs of the mass consumer market.

In terms of core functions, Apple Glasses will feature an "AI + Siri + camera" as the core interaction combination, which can be understood as "AirPods with eyes". In terms of hardware configuration, the device will be equipped with multiple cameras. Their core function is not only for taking photos and videos but also for realizing the "visual intelligence" function - real - time object recognition, text reading, landmark identification, and other environmental information, which will be deeply integrated with Apple Intelligence that Apple is fully promoting.

For example, when users see a restaurant sign, the glasses can inform them of the rating information through the built - in speaker or connected AirPods. When facing a foreign - language menu, it can provide real - time translation services. This contextual service precisely addresses the pain point of situational awareness in current AI hardware.

In terms of performance and battery life, considering the lightweight requirement of the glasses, Apple will customize a new processor based on the Apple Watch S - series chips. The design core focuses on achieving the ultimate energy - efficiency ratio, mainly responsible for driving the cameras, processing sensor data, and running basic machine - learning models. More complex computing tasks will be wirelessly transmitted to the iPhone or the cloud for processing, thus balancing power consumption and battery life to ensure that users can wear the glasses all day long.

"AirPods with Eyes"

Since it is called "AirPods with eyes", Apple Glasses also has some design features.

The device is expected to introduce a directional speaker system, borrowing the adaptive audio technology of AirPods Pro 2 and using the beam - forming technology of HomePod to solve the sound leakage problem, ensuring the interaction effect and privacy in a noisy environment.

In addition, reports mention that Apple is developing a health - tracking function for it. At the same time, it will offer multiple styles and cooperate with optical giants to develop replaceable lenses to meet the needs of myopic people.

After talking about the appearance, the update in the interaction experience lies in the evolution of Siri.

It is reported that the new - generation Siri will serve as the main input method and needs to have stronger context - understanding ability, seamlessly integrate the environmental information provided by visual intelligence, and give accurate and concise feedback. The addition of AI also makes Apple Glasses more playable and a truly practical tool.

Regarding the price, there are two mainstream predictions in the industry. One is that it will refer to the pricing of Apple Watch Ultra 2, in the range of $799 - $999 (about 5,600 - 7,000 yuan), continuing Apple's strategy of high - end entry for new product categories. The other view is that given its lightweight positioning without a screen, the cost is relatively controllable, and the price may be comparable to Meta Ray - Ban's $299 price range or be set at around $499 (about 3,500 yuan).

However, regardless of the pricing, Apple has once again fallen behind in the progress of AI glasses.

Currently, Meta Ray - Ban smart glasses dominate the market. In addition, Alibaba has launched the Quark AI glasses, and Google is collaborating with Warby Parker and others to develop smart glasses, which are expected to be unveiled in 2026 and will directly compete with Apple Glasses.

In contrast, Apple's core advantages lie in ecological integration and privacy protection. Its brand image of "privacy first" can reduce users' concerns about the glasses' cameras. The seamless collaborative experience with devices such as the iPhone, Mac, and AirPods is also a moat that other hardware manufacturers can hardly replicate.

It is worth mentioning that multiple sources indicate that Apple is already planning subsequent high - end models with a display. The launch of the current screenless version is actually a transitional strategy to cultivate user habits at a low cost before the technology and market mature.

As 2026 approaches, the iteration of the new system and the AI evolution of Siri will become the focus of attention. The previous failure of Vision Pro has shown that the promotion of XR devices is much more difficult than that of smartphones. As for whether smart glasses can integrate into users' lives and redefine the smart wearable category, the answer can only be revealed after Apple officially launches the new product.

This article is from the WeChat public account "Meku.com", author: jh. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.