Apple's debut smart glasses reportedly delayed until 2027
A new report suggests 'Visual Intelligence' concerns are at the root of the updated timeline
Apple’s highly anticipated leap into the smart glasses market may have hit another road bump, with the debut specs now not slated to arrive until next year.
That's the word from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, at least, who suggests in their latest Power On newsletter that the tech giant has pushed back its internal roadmap for the category, delaying the launch of its first AI-powered specs to the end of 2027.
The hardware, internally codenamed N50, was originally on track for a late 2026 unveiling. However, development bottlenecks have reportedly shifted those deadlines out by an additional year.
While upgraded Siri capabilities remain on track to land much sooner, the core reason for the delay is concerns about Apple’s visual AI technology. The brand is said to be taking extra time to ensure its 'Visual Intelligence' features are robust enough to avoid launching an underwhelming first-generation device into a market already dominated by the Meta Ray-Bans.
When the glasses do arrive, Apple plans to lean heavily into industrial design to differentiate them from traditional eyewear. Gurman suggests Apple is exploring utilizing oval-shaped camera modules, unique color pathways, and multiple frame profiles.
The long-term vision is to capture a share of the billions of consumers worldwide who rely on prescription eyewear, eventually integrating true augmented reality (AR) lenses and advanced health algorithms.
An update on the Vision lineup
On the flip side, Apple has also reportedly quietly revived development on a more affordable, lightweight alternative to its mixed-reality headset line.
Dubbed the 'Vision Air', this streamlined successor to the $3,499 Vision Pro is now projected to land between late 2028 and 2029.
Gurman notes that the broader category is effectively "on ice" until that window, meaning consumers shouldn't expect dramatic architectural updates from the current Vision Pro lineup until the slimmer model is ready.
