Apple has started testing four new designs along with colors for its upcoming smart glasses in order to compete with Meta’s Ray-Ban hardware.
In the current world scenario, where people have tended to move from smart watches to smart glasses, there was a single dominating player, Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. Apple has gained a lateral entry with its upcoming smart glasses, to be released in early 2027, with several frame styles and a unique camera design.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gunman, in his newsletter Power On, Apple is to make a debut in the smart glasses category with a display-free smart glass, internally code-named N50, within its Vision Products Group division.
Similar to the Meta Ray-Ban, Apple is developing glasses for everyday use, like capturing photos and videos, syncing with a smartphone, handling phone calls, and hands-free interaction using a voice assistant, among other features. While the former is using MetaAI as a voice assistant, Apple is using a significantly upgraded Siri coming in iOS 27.
While the glasses form a major part of the AI wearables triad, the others are new AirPods and a camera-equipped pendant, each of which is designed to use computer vision to give an idea about the user’s surroundings to Siri and Apple intelligence for features like turn-by-turn map directions and visual reminders.
According to employees working on this project, Apple’s blueprint to outsmart competitors is by tightly integrating glasses with the iPhone, with a superior build. The tech giant also plans to make use of vertical integration in terms of design, unlike Meta, which uses EssilorLuxottica SA for frames.
Some of the design, features, and color options in testing are:
- A large rectangular frame similar to Ray-Ban Wayfarers.
- A slimmer rectangular design, like the one worn by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.
- Larger oval or circular frames.
- A smaller, more refined oval or circular option.
- Vertically oriented oval lenses for the camera system.
- Color options include black, ocean blue, and light brown.
- High-end Acetate material is used for a luxurious feel.
Along with this, Apple’s brand, its in-house chips, huge retail presence, and deep iPhone integration may be deciding factors in determining who leads the race to dominate this particular market.
