Wearable technology is only scratching the surface of what is technically possible, but there needs to be a balance between customer wants and needs and costs associated with the product. That is why the smart watch triumphed, as it fulfilled a need, gave plenty of extra options and did not cost a fortune, but smart glasses, at least the first around, were a complete flop, as there was not enough need for them, they did not fill any gaps in the market and were ridiculously expensive for the functions that they performed. But Apple is trying to change this.
The first company to try this was Google, and like we stated, they did not succeed, scrapping the project soon after it was released. Meta took over where they left off, and while they have had a bit more success thanks to a collaboration with Ray-Ban, they are not a popular item by any stretch of the imagination. These glasses are bulky, uncomfortable and not nearly as useful in day to day contexts as the company announces.
But now there is another company willing to give it a go, and that is Apple. While it is not surprising that they are jumping on the bandwagon, after all, almost every product they have released has turned to gold, we are skeptical that their contribution to this market will make a difference in the acceptance of this product for the general public.
The new Apple smart glasses, what we know as of now
According to Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman this new piece of tech is slated to be released at the end of 2026 and it will be similar to the other models that are available today. The new smart glasses are expected to handle basic tasks like playing audio, managing calls, and responding to questions, although they will not support augmented reality just yet. Siri will play a central role in user interaction, and Apple has already announced their plans to upgrade the assistant ahead of the release so that they can accommodate for the glasses. The product is said to resemble Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses but with a more refined design and construction.
This is not the first time that Apple has tried to improve on the technology that they currently have. Their Apple watch is considered one the most complete devices on the market, but a few years ago there were rumors floating around that the company was toting around with the idea of installing a camera on them.
While the idea sounded fun, it was quite impractical and it was scrapped before it even made it to the prototype phase. However, rumors did state that the possible Apple Watch and Watch Ultra model would have been released in 2027 had the idea gone through. The smartwatch camera was not intended for photography or video calls like FaceTime, but rather for gathering contextual data from the environment. Its capabilities would have been similar to the iPhone’s visual recognition tools, such as identifying plants, translating text, describing objects, or providing business information like store hours.
But even thought the Apple watch will not have a camera, the company has not stopped their quest to fit one in other devices. It seems like the next place that Apple is contemplating on adding a camera is the AirPods.
Whatever the future holds, Apple is continuing to innovate, and whether we will see some of the more outlandish ideas come to fruition will depend on whether or not customers are ready to receive them. One thing that seems to be coming down the pipeline is a foldable phone, which is scheduled to be released late next year.