The "iPhone moment" for smart glasses will eventually arrive because Apple has entered the arena itself.
In the past six or seven months, the market for a certain category of wearable smart devices has been quite bustling, and that is smart glasses.
Since Meta collaborated with well - known fashion eyewear brands like Ray - Ban and Oakley to launch the Ray - Ban Meta and Oakley Meta series of smart glasses, people seem to have finally realized:
Besides holding headphones, masks, earrings, hat brims, cigarettes, and pencils, human ears can also hold an extra pair of smart glasses!
After Meta redefined the product paradigm of "glasses + camera + music + assistant", many manufacturers including Google, Huawei, Samsung, and Xiaomi have started to enter the smart glasses field, and the entire market had a major explosion at the end of 2025.
Apple, which always likes to make a late appearance but can always set the stage on fire, is no exception. According to the latest news from Bloomberg, Apple's smart glasses have finally reached the "last - mile sprint" before launch.
According to the latest newsletter from Bloomberg's Apple expert Mark Gurman, he has learned that Apple is developing multiple styles of frames and a unique camera design for its first smart glasses product.
It is reported that the internal development code name for Apple's glasses is N50. It has now entered the design selection and specification finalization stage and is expected to be released at the end of 2026 or early 2027 and go on sale officially within 2027:
Image | Glass Almanac
N50 will be the second official product of Apple's VPG (Vision Products Group) after the Vision Pro. It has been almost a decade since Apple established the VPG and started exploring head - mounted display devices.
In terms of product form, Mark Gurman pointed out that Apple's N50 will follow the currently mature "pure voice interaction" route to be as compatible as possible with prescription lenses and functional lenses and increase the user base:
Meta Ray - Ban glasses | Forbes
On this basis, the design scenario of N50 naturally focuses on daily life - in other words, it (temporarily) is not a Pro - series product - such as taking photos and videos, playing music, and serving as an entry point for Siri. Overall, it still has more fashion attributes.
And what is the most important thing for fashion glasses? Of course, it's the frame design.
Mark Gurman pointed out that he learned that Apple's design team has designed at least four different styles for N50 and plans to launch some or all of these styles -
Does this idea sound familiar? Yes, it's similar to the classification in the Apple Watch product line, such as Series, SE, Ultra, Nike, and Hermès. There's always one that suits you.
Currently, there are four known design styles for Apple's glasses:
I. A large - sized rectangular frame design, with a style similar to the Ray - Ban WayFarers series
Ray - Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses | Sunglasses.ie
II. A thin metal full - frame rectangular frame design, similar to the glasses worn by Tim Cook himself
III. A larger - sized oval or circular frame, possibly made of polycarbonate
Oakley OX 8184 | SmartBuyGlasses US
IV. A more compact and delicate oval or circular frame, similar to the style Steve Jobs used to wear, but without a rimless design
Image | AppleInsider
Mark Gurman pointed out that on the basis of the above four main styles, Apple is also exploring a series of color - matching schemes, including black, navy blue, and light brown.
Like AirPods and Apple Watch, Apple's goal is to create a design for its glasses that can be recognized at a glance.
Another design detail worth noting is the camera system of N50.
Mark Gurman analyzed that Apple plans to use a "vertical oval lens" on N50, with the shooting indicator light surrounding it:
Generated using AI
N50 may also use a solution with the same origin as the square sensor on the iPhone 17 series to achieve high - quality shooting in both horizontal and vertical directions.
In addition, the closely - developed N50 is also one of the three key products Apple has planned in the "smart wearables" field.
The other two are the previously - reported "AirPods with visual perception ability" and the "smart pendant":
Image | Threads
However, compared with N50, the other two products are still in the early stages of internal development. Coupled with Apple's struggles in the AI field, they are unlikely to be officially released in the short term.
Mark Gurman also pointed out that in the smart glasses business, Apple probably won't follow the approach of Meta, Google, and Samsung by collaborating with professional eyewear brands like EssilorLuxottica and Warby Parker for production. Instead, it will keep all the software and hardware in its own hands.
In this way, N50 can enjoy all the advantages of the Apple ecosystem to achieve product advantages that are difficult for Meta and Google to achieve -
After all, when you buy a Meta Ray - Ban, you still have to connect it to your iPhone.
Image | 9to5Mac
In other words: For other smart glasses products, it's like the tech companies are in the back and the eyewear companies are in the front. Perhaps only with Apple's combination of software and hardware can the tech companies be in the front and the eyewear companies also be in the front.
For example, for the ultra - low - power SoC required for smart glasses, Apple may use the S - series processors with the same origin as those in the Apple Watch on N50.
Combined with new battery technology, the battery life goal for N50 is to be worn all day long, similar to prescription glasses -
Image | X @appletrack
It is foreseeable that the linkage functions between Apple's smart glasses and products like the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch will be very rich.
Some rather radical predictions even suggest that Apple may completely remove the speakers from the temples to make room for a larger battery or other sensors, and let AirPods handle all the audio work -
Image | TechCrunch
Although this idea conflicts with the usage scenarios of "pure voice - interaction" smart glasses, it is still an interesting solution.
Perhaps after adding a display function in the future, Apple will have a product with a similar solution.
In terms of materials, in addition to the polycarbonate that Apple always likes, it is reported that the design team has also considered options such as pure titanium and high - strength titanium alloy, aiming to control the overall weight of the glasses below 50g.
Image | Optical Illusions
Regarding the crucial lenses, since Apple doesn't consider adding a display solution to N50, it is expected to support most prescription lenses on the market.
Considering the previous cooperation, Apple may also launch a lens customization service in cooperation with Zeiss, similar to the Vision Pro.
But according to a previous investigation and experience by ifanr, getting glasses for smart glasses is never an easy task:
Related reading: I got a pair of AI glasses and found that people with myopia can't really use AI glasses? | With a glasses - fitting guide
Finally, Mark Gurman also pointed out that "privacy" will still be one of the main concepts of Apple's smart glasses, which includes considerations about the "too - concealed" video and audio recording functions of smart glasses.
Ifanr speculates that besides means such as video recording indicator lights and occlusion detection, Apple may take advantage of the existing Find My network and use methods similar to AirTag tracking warnings to push warnings like 'An Apple glasses that has been recording for a long time is detected nearby' to iPhone users.
Image | TechRadar
Although Apple has been struggling in the era of the booming AI, it's undeniable that in the wearable device market, Apple still plays the role of the "big brother" who can call the shots.
Whether it's the AirPods, which single - handedly revitalized the TWS market and almost became the design standard, or the Vision Pro, which has no rival in the "industry application" field of AR and XR, they are all manifestations of Apple's design and ecological influence.
Image | Popular Science
As we have repeatedly emphasized in previous articles: The primary indicator for smart glasses is to be "good - looking", and then comes functionality.
Even if there is no groundbreaking breakthrough in functionality, Apple's glasses will definitely be a product that prioritizes design and is even "far ahead", setting a design benchmark for the upcoming smart glasses market.