Apple is developing at least four different styles of smart glasses, and the company is betting that their superior design will set them apart from rival products, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple's latest designs are made from a high-end material called acetate, which is "more durable and luxurious" than the standard plastic used by most existing brands. In Gurman's words, the designs in testing include:
- A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
- A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple CEO Tim Cook
- Larger oval or circular frames
- A smaller, more refined oval or circular option
The designs will be instantly recognizable as Apple – what the company refers to internally as the "icon" – and they are set to come in "many" color options, says Gurman, with black, ocean blue, and light brown currently being explored.
The glasses will tightly integrate with the iPhone and Siri, and they will use computer vision to interpret the user's surroundings and feed contextual awareness into Apple Intelligence. Meanwhile, the the camera system currently being considered is described as "vertically oriented oval lenses with surrounding lights," which contrasts with the circular design seen in Meta's Ray-Bans.
Apple is expected to unveil smart glasses as the end of 2026 or early the following year, with the actual release occurring in 2027. The glasses are said to be part of Apple's broader AI wearables strategy that also includes new AirPods with cameras and a camera-equipped pendant.
