Apple AI Glasses Will Rival Meta's With Several Styles, Oval Cameras (bloomberg.com) 56
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is developing display-free AI smart glasses aimed at rivaling Meta's Ray-Bans, with multiple frame styles, a distinctive oval camera design, and tight iPhone integration. "The idea is to unveil the product at the end of 2026 or early the following year, with the actual release coming in 2027," writes Gurman. From the report: Like Meta's offering, Apple's glasses will be designed to handle everyday uses: capturing photos and videos, syncing with a smartphone for editing and sharing, handling phone calls, listening to notifications, playing music, and enabling hands-free interaction via a voice assistant. In Apple's case, that assistant will be a significantly upgraded Siri coming in iOS 27. The glasses are part of a broader, three-pronged AI wearables strategy that also includes new AirPods and a camera-equipped pendant. Each device is designed to leverage computer vision to interpret the user's surroundings and feed contextual awareness into Siri and Apple Intelligence. That will enable features like improved turn-by-turn map directions and visual reminders.
When Apple typically enters a new product category, it offers clear advantages over what's currently available. We saw this with the original iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch -- and, even though it was a flop, the Vision Pro. That approach won't be as obvious with Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, but we should see it on full display with the glasses. According to employees working on the project, Apple's strategy is to outdo competitors by tightly integrating the glasses with the iPhone and offering a higher-end build. While Meta relies heavily on partner EssilorLuxottica SA for frames, Apple is unsurprisingly planning to go at it alone in terms of design. That also should set it apart from Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Samsung Electronics Co., which are leaning on Warby Parker.
Apple's design team has whipped up at least four different styles and plans to launch some or all of them, I'm told, as well as many color options. The latest units are made from a high-end material called acetate, which is known to be more durable and luxurious than the standard plastic used by many brands. Here are the designs in testing:
- A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
- A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook
- Larger oval or circular frames
- A smaller, more refined oval or circular option
When Apple typically enters a new product category, it offers clear advantages over what's currently available. We saw this with the original iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch -- and, even though it was a flop, the Vision Pro. That approach won't be as obvious with Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, but we should see it on full display with the glasses. According to employees working on the project, Apple's strategy is to outdo competitors by tightly integrating the glasses with the iPhone and offering a higher-end build. While Meta relies heavily on partner EssilorLuxottica SA for frames, Apple is unsurprisingly planning to go at it alone in terms of design. That also should set it apart from Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Samsung Electronics Co., which are leaning on Warby Parker.
Apple's design team has whipped up at least four different styles and plans to launch some or all of them, I'm told, as well as many color options. The latest units are made from a high-end material called acetate, which is known to be more durable and luxurious than the standard plastic used by many brands. Here are the designs in testing:
- A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
- A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook
- Larger oval or circular frames
- A smaller, more refined oval or circular option
Acetate (Score:5, Funny)
Uh, plastic was literally invented to replace cellulose acetate, which has issue like UV degradation, brittling, and scratch susceptibility. You're going to wear these glasses in the sunlight, right? Make sure to put sunblock on your glasses so it doesn't turn into vinegar.
Re: (Score:1)
What this really means is that the Venn diagram of glassholes and apple fanbois will approximate a perfect circle.
Re: (Score:3)
It's probably not your grandfather's acetate. Of course, the disingenuous thing about calling it acetate is that by the time they're done doing all of the modern chemistry on the cellulose base material, the end product essentially is plastic.
There's this NileRed video on YouTube where he makes "plastic glove soda". Same idea, basically.
Re: (Score:3)
IMHO trees are made of plastic. It's just a particular type of plastic that's been around for so long that bunch of things evolved enzymes for breaking it down relatively fast and cheap enough to get energy from it.
When cellulose was brand new, there also was a lengthy period when nothing could break them down well, which is why we have coal deposits today.
Re: (Score:2)
Uh, plastic was literally invented to replace cellulose acetate, which has issue like UV degradation, brittling, and scratch susceptibility. You're going to wear these glasses in the sunlight, right? Make sure to put sunblock on your glasses so it doesn't turn into vinegar.
You're making that sound like it's a problem. It is quite literally a feature, the glasses will require frequent replacement meaning they'll have to buy new frames from Apple on a regular basis... Planned obsolescence without having to build a new product, it's the holy grail of braindead consumerism.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yes .. and here's what happens over a few years: https://www.instagram.com/p/DH... [instagram.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Note .. I agree Apple probably has some chemical alterations and coatings to prevent degradation .. I'm talking about acetate as-is.
What are SmartGlasses for? (Score:4, Interesting)
It says 'display-less' so it's not AR...which I thought was the whole point.
From what I've people describe the uses as being the same as airpods with the addition of taking video/pictures.
Why use the 'glasses' form-factor when you're not using your eyeballs for any of the interaction?
Is that it? Is it just a convenient place to hang a camera? Also, are people expected to get prescription lenses for these things...or are normally sighted people now walking about with glasses on....just because?
I keep wondering if it's the 'stealth' factor. Are they 'spy' glasses and made to look completely normal? Did someone decide that Google Glass was 'too obvious' and people would know you're walking around with a camera on your head? So they have to make a camera that (most) people wouldn't recognize? That seems a bit illegal. ;)
(one guy said, "we're not allowed to have airpods at work, so I use these instead." (that's totally going to backfire, and your boss won't be amused.))
Re: (Score:2)
Also, you can probably take them into theme parks and film things that they don't want you filming. But since there's always at least a few people who already had the same idea and uploaded it to YouTube, there's no point unless recording it yourself is just something on your bucket list.
Re: (Score:3)
This is the Pandora's Box of the panopticon: Kleptocracy (not democracy) for the masses. Now everyone can redistribute.
Go ahead, walk into that locker room. Do your upskirt shots. Walk into that nudist camp or even gay bathhouse.
See that screen in the doctor's office? Maybe that tax return. Sealed court order?
How about that flab in the mirror? Maybe that scar.
These aren't SmartGlasses, whether Meta or Apple, these are the tech bros whittling away at your privacy and liberty-- for profit.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:What are SmartGlasses for? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
I think the idea is not just to have cameras for normal camera things like taking photos/videos, but to generally have more sensors on you so the AI can get a continuous read of what you're doing in order to respond and act in context. Like you could already wear headphones and have voice AI in your ear but it doesn't know your situation beyond maybe general location and whatever it can pick up with mics.
I can imagine being able to point at things to refer to them or asking "which one of these is best" type
Re:What are SmartGlasses for? (Score:5, Funny)
Apple clearly doesn't give a shit about privacy and safety. Look at AirTags. Easy to disable the speaker, and they could have detected that kind of tampering easily enough. At launch there was no practical way for non-iPhone users to defend themselves against being secretly tracked with those things.
Maybe we need privacy glasses. Like smart glasses, but instead of cameras, there are IR LEDs that flicker randomly to screw up any cameras pointed at you.
Re:What are SmartGlasses for? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Is it just a convenient place to hang a camera?
Pretty much, a camera pointed where you are looking. Versus the 'pendant' concept where it looks where your chest is pointing, which seems a bit more awkward. Handheld has nice ability to point independent of gaze, but it's a hassle to hold especially if you want to do other things with your hands like hands on handlebar.
Also, are people expected to get prescription lenses for these things.
I would assume so, and displayless makes this pretty much a trivial concern, since they are 'just another sort of frames'
"we're not allowed to have airpods at work, so I use these instead." (that's totally going to backfire, and your boss won't be amused.
Depends, some may object to airpods because they block your hearing
Re: (Score:2)
This does not bode well... (Score:2)
So, they'll be an abject failure.
Re: (Score:2)
They'll be a perfect match for the Vision Pro, then!
Re: (Score:2)
reasonable expectation of privacy (Score:3)
When I go out into public, I, personally, feel that I have no reasonable expectation of privacy.
However, I do believe that other people, and maybe *most* other people, absolutely *do* feel that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, excepting locations that have security cameras.
So, while I don't care of others wear their AppleGlass or GoogleGlass or MetaGlass whatever, and have their AI's run facial recognition on me, and feed the wearer my stats into their airpods as they approach me, I understand that others feel that this is a privacy violation.
I'm not sure this is going to go over very well. What do you think?
Re:reasonable expectation of privacy (Score:4, Insightful)
If it was just individuals capturing these data for themselves that would be one thing, a minor privacy issue similar to someone pulling their phone out and taking a picture of you without asking. But it'll be millions of these devices everywhere and all their data will be collected by a few companies.
Today with some effort I can mostly avoid being tracked by Google, the world's largest ad network, by careful internet behaviour but how will I be able to do that when every other pair of glasses is feeding them imagery?
It's a matter of scale.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Right so that’s the escalation - I go from having to be careful online to having to wear makeup or a mask. Not great!
Phones already roll randomized wifi MAC but either way “you’re already being tracked anyway” isn’t a great response to privacy concerns.
Re: (Score:1)
I don't know, why don't you ask this the other way - why should people be able to identify me so easily?
Re: (Score:2)
When I go out into public, I, personally, feel that I have no reasonable expectation of privacy.
However, I do believe that other people, and maybe *most* other people, absolutely *do* feel that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, excepting locations that have security cameras.
I'm waiting for a modern remake of The Conversation , complete with glassholes. Alas, audiences today probably won't look up from their phones long enough to take any of it in.
Re: (Score:2)
One of the questions we need to ask ourselves isn't whether we can hide, but whether we can prevent someone using our being somewhere against us.
Consider this, Nothing is private. I see you, you see me. You are in a place not in control of people, technology and distance. The sound you make can be heard. Everything you should do should be considered public.
Buuuuuutttt.... What does this mean for people who notice you in public. Take facial recognition. We see you, we recognise you, you are you (within a cer
Re: (Score:2)
Well, when I go out in public I realise that I have no real privacy, but I DO have anonymity.
Anonymity is a much different thing.
And, it's not a have/not have thing; there are many shades of privacy and anonymity.
Re: (Score:1)
I'd like to see you try, asswipe.
Sour Grapes (Score:2)
display-free? (Score:3)
It's not going to have any clear advantages if it's display-free. Snap had that in 2016 and Meta in 2021. If they want a clear advantage, give us something that doesn't already exist.
Re: (Score:3)
It will have an Apple logo.
Apple Glassholes... (Score:2)
I suggest "iHole" for a name
I thought the idea of glasses frames was to hide (Score:2)
I want thin frames and a color that sort of just disappears. I don't see putting a camera and battery into that form. Of course I don't see that form much any more and not in the proper colors. It may not help that there seems to be one company in the wold left that makes frames another that makes lenses and one is a subsidiary of the other.
Re: (Score:2)
What gave you that idea? Glasses frames are literally a segment of the fashion industry, a significant portion of them exist only to show off. I mean check out these )(non-smart) eyeglass frames from Gucci https://www.celine-opticien-lu... [celine-opt...netier.com] Pretty sure these Balenciaga's have a thicker frame than Meta's AR bullshit: https://www.celine-opticien-lu... [celine-opt...netier.com]
It may not help that there seems to be one company in the wold left that makes frames
The company which makes frames does not decide what shape they are, they are made and moulded to any order you wish to bulk purchase. There's countless frames an
Will Siri be working by then... (Score:2)
Did anyone notice the difference in tone between (Score:4, Funny)
Meta: Big Bad people enabling sex offenders
Apple: Nice shiny glasses with rounded edges giving it style.
Hilarious, right?
anyone?
Oval design? Such innovation! (Score:2)
The mind boggles. I predict we will see other shapes soon! The world is complete now!
No display? No interest. (Score:2)
I do not want an input only device, and if I want headphones, I'll put one in each ear I want one in. Rarely is that both ears, and usually I consciously and specifically pick which ear I want.
What I do care the most about is a screen. I'm not so hung up on screen size or quality for now, I just want something that I can use easier than my phone. If you don't have a screen, what is the point?
Will Apple also be warned? (Score:1)
These are not ~for~ us (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It really depends who is selling them.
Meta are primarily in the business of selling advertising, and selling information about their users to advertisers, so in that case you're right, and you might therefore expect Meta to be gathering information about you via any such product, maybe even pushing audio ads to you ("sure, i can recommend a restaurant...").
Apple are in the business of selling appliances, and try to emphasize privacy to distinguish themselves from others like Meta and Google. In this case yo