Apple May Still Be Exploring Smart Glasses With AI And Cameras

Apple seems to be still exploring the possibility of developing smart glasses similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban models, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Unlike the Apple Vision Pro, these glasses would not offer full augmented reality (AR) capabilities but would integrate AI, microphones, and cameras to enhance user experience.

Gurman believes Apple could succeed in this market by leveraging its design expertise, high-quality audio similar to AirPods, and integration with the iPhone—However, despite years of development, Apple has not yet released such a product. Initially, Apple aimed to create smart glasses with AR functionality that resembled regular eyewear; However, the project was discontinued earlier this year due to hardware limitations.

The glasses were designed to connect to an iPhone, but issues with power and battery life hindered development. Apple then explored using a Mac as the power source, but executives found this approach impractical, ultimately leading to the project’s cancellation.

Despite this, Apple continues to study smart glasses technology. The company is reportedly conducting user research under the codename “Atlas” to evaluate features and interfaces. The studies are led by the Product Systems Quality team within Apple’s hardware engineering division. Apple is also working on a version of visionOS that could be adapted for glasses.

Developing smart glasses could serve as an intermediate step toward Apple’s long-term goal of true AR glasses, often referred to as “Apple Glass.” While AR glasses remain technologically challenging, the Vision Pro headset represents Apple’s current solution until more advanced technology becomes feasible.

Additionally, Apple is actively developing a product that would integrate AirPods with cameras. These cameras would enhance AI capabilities by gathering environmental data, similar to the Visual Intelligence feature on certain iPhone models.

Filed in Gadgets >Rumors. Read more about AI (Artificial Intelligence), Apple and Smart Glasses.