Apple smart glasses could launch in 2027 with new chips, per report

(Credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

• 👓 Apple could launch new smart glasses sometime in 2027

• 👾 A new rumor says the company is working on a special chip that can handle all the glasses’ cameras, while maximizing efficiency

• ⌚️ The processor is reportedly based on what’s inside the Apple Watch

• 🧑‍🔬 Apple is also working on new chips for camera-equipped watches and AirPods

Apple is working on many new products, including smart glasses that will bring technologies from the Apple Vision Pro to something more tangible for everyday life. It looks like we could see something like this in 2027, along with a brand-new chip designed specifically for the spectacles.

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The iPhone maker is working on a chip based on what’s inside the Apple Watch, according to a report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg. It’s designed to handle the “multiple cameras” that the glasses will include, while removing some capabilities to help improve efficiency. Apple reportedly hopes to start production of the chip in late 2026 or in 2027, making it sound like we’ll get the company’s first smart glasses in two years’ time.

The glasses will take on Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which is reportedly a top priority for CEO Tim Cook. Apple is said to ship a pair of smart glasses without AR at first, with a follow-up pair that integrates augmented reality experiences in the future. Cook hopes to beat Meta in shipping such a device, and its first pair of glasses in 2027 will be an important step in that direction.

In the same report, Gurman also notes that Apple is working on new chips for the Apple Watch and AirPods. Specifically, new versions of both devices that’ll come with cameras. The chips are said to be finalized sometime in 2027, which could be the year we see both new devices. Apple’s addition of cameras to the watch and AirPods will enable Visual Intelligence features with Apple Intelligence integration.

Other chips Apple is working on include the new M6 and M7 processors, the C2 5G modem (following the C1’s release in the iPhone 16e), a higher-end C3 modem, and an AI server chip, rumored to be completed sometime in 2027.

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Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.