Im a smart glasses expert and Apples rumored Meta Ray-Bans rivals could
tempt me to switch thanks to one key strength

Date:
Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
Apple's privacy-first approach could help it dominate the smart glasses sector.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Apple is working on smart glasses that should be revealed later this year, according to leaks AI AirPods and an AI pendant are also planned Apple's privacy-first approach could help it win with AI glasses Every tech company and its dog is cramming AI into whatever system it can, and while Apple has been slow to get off the starting line, its rumored AI glasses, AI-focused AirPods, and AI necklace could help it snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
all thanks to one major long-term focus: privacy.

While a couple of these gadgets have been teased previously by Bloombergs
Mark Gurman (behind a paywall), who often shares reliable Apple insider info, he has just revealed more details about Apples plans to create its first
smart glasses. According to Gurman, Apple is developing display-free smart glasses that will compete directly with the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 . These smart specs, internally code-named N50, will apparently help you capture photos and videos, play music, catch up on notifications, and interact with Siri. The latter will finally, according to reports, get a big upgrade in iOS 27 . Article continues below You may like Apple reportedly working on AI smart glasses, an AI pin, and AirPods that can see I love my Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses but this summer Im giving up on them Meta just debuted a duo of new
AI glasses style in its Ray-Ban smart specs

The rumored AirPods and pendant could similarly rely on tech like cameras and microphones to capture information from your surroundings to provide insight and assistance, such as visual reminders.

Gurman doesnt share release dates for any of the trio, but says the smart spectacles should appear later this year, with a launch due in 2027. He also claims that Apple's smart glasses are being tested with four designs: a
large, rectangular frame (like the Ray-Ban Wayfarers), a slimmer rectangular design (like Tim Cook 's specs), larger oval or circular frames, plus a "smaller, more refined" version of the latter.

But despite these rumors that Apple will try to eclipse its rivals with a "higher-end build", I still think they're going to have their work cut out
for them, for a few reasons. Not plain sailing (Image credit: Future) For starters, this delayed Apple glasses rollout could damage the perceived utility of its tech compared to its rivals especially as by the time it debuts AI specs, Apples competitors are expected to have a generation or two of AR / display glasses released. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

From experience, AR and display glasses (which can overlay your vision with various details, including live translation, shared play environments, or HUD elements like a map) are also a significant step up from display-less AI
specs in terms of their usefulness and capabilities.

The less-than-stellar Apple Intelligence rollout also gives me cause for concern. Apple still hasn't really proved that it knows what it's doing with AI.

The other potential pitfall is that Apple is said to be going it alone design-wise, rather than linking with a brand like Ray-Ban or Warby Parker, like Meta and Google have. As a fashion accessory, the look of smart glasses is almost as essential as their usefulness, and several brands Ive seen try
to design their glasses in-house have struggled to make something that looks good. What to read next Mark Zuckerberg says it's 'hard to imagine' a future without AI glasses New report suggests Apple will release an AI Pin in 2027 Staff are seeing a lot more from our smart glasses than we might want

That said, if any brand can buck that trend, its arguably the tech design champion that is Apple.

And the Californian tech giant also has one major smart glasses strength that could still win me over, even as an Android fan: privacy. Privacy, privacy, privacy Visual reminders are seen as the next big advantage AI wearables can leverage. That is, they can take in all of the information about your life
and help you remember things like peoples names, where you left your keys, or what needs restocking in your fridge. (Image credit: Apple) The issue is, while this level of AI assistance is undeniably useful, its equally invasive essentially requiring the wearable to have an always-on view of your life. Otherwise, it could miss vital context that would make its advice useless.

Meta and Google 's practices have come under fire in the past for their data privacy, and what information is or isnt shared with their AI most recently, Meta has fallen into hot water over how many more videos and images than people realized are being shared with Meta and reviewed by contractors.

Apple, on the other hand, has always made a big effort to promote privacy
with its tech . And in the world of AI where some tasks require personal information to be processed on servers rather than on your device it created Private Cloud Compute to ensure that user data is kept private even when it
is used by Apples remote servers.

Im firmly in the Android ecosystem, and if youve seen our podcast you know I have a bit of an Apple-hater persona. Still, Id currently trust Apple glasses over any other brand as things stand and with the privacy advantages I
expect them to offer Id even be willing to put up with worse performance and specs if it meant knowing my personal data was secure.

Well have to wait and see what Apple reveals as with all leaks, we must take teases and speculation with a pinch of salt but Im uncharacteristically excited to see what Apple has up its sleeve. Meta and Google (and the rest) should watch out. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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