Apple is accelerating development of three new wearable devices as part of a strategic shift toward artificial intelligence-powered hardware. According to people familiar with the plans, the company is ramping up work on smart glasses, a pendant that can be pinned to a shirt or worn as a necklace, and AirPods with expanded AI capabilities. All three products are being built around the Siri digital assistant, which will use visual context from cameras to carry out actions.
Each of the upcoming devices will connect to an iPhone and feature camera systems with varying capabilities. The AirPods and the pendant are envisioned as simpler offerings, equipped with lower-resolution cameras designed primarily to assist the AI rather than for taking photos or videos. The smart glasses, however, are planned to be a more upscale and feature-rich product.
This intensified focus on AI hardware was hinted at by Apple’s CEO in a recent company meeting, where he expressed excitement about new “categories of products” enabled by artificial intelligence and emphasized significant investments in new technology. This push comes as Apple aims to solidify its position in the AI landscape, an area where it has been playing catch-up.
The smart glasses are a key part of this strategy, intended to compete with similar camera-equipped eyewear from other tech giants. Codenamed N50, the glasses have seen significant progress recently, with prototypes being distributed more widely within the company. Production could begin as early as December, targeting a public release in 2027. Unlike a virtual reality headset, these glasses will not have a display. Instead, the interface will rely on speakers, microphones, and cameras, allowing users to make calls, access Siri, play music, and take photos based on their surroundings.
Apple plans to differentiate its glasses through superior build quality and advanced camera technology. After initially experimenting with embedding technology into frames from popular brands, the company has decided to develop its own frames in-house, offering a variety of sizes and colors. Early prototypes connected to an external battery pack, but newer versions have all the components embedded within the frame, using high-end materials to achieve a premium feel.
This accelerated push into wearables represents Apple’s search for a breakthrough product that can keep users firmly within its ecosystem, especially after its high-end mixed-reality headset saw limited consumer adoption. With AI poised to change how we interact with technology, shifting more activities to peripherals, Apple is betting that these new devices will be the next step forward.
