Apple May Be Working on Several Designs and Frames for Its First Smart Glasses.
Apple’s product lineup is substantial: the company produces smartphones, tablets, computers, headphones, and smartwatches, among other products. But with the exception of the Vision Pro, it’s been a bit late in entering the headset and smartglasses market, while other companies, notably Meta , are pushing ahead with their own smart wearables. However, as anyone who follows tech rumors knows, Apple is working on its own smartglasses —four models, to be exact.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims Apple is working on not one, but four design options for its upcoming smart glasses. According to Gurman, there are two main designs, each offering a thinner or more compact option. These include:
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Rectangular frame, like Ray-Ban Wayfarers.
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Rectangular frames with a thinner design, similar to those worn by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
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Large round or oval glasses
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Smaller, more “fancy” oval or round frames
Gurman says all four models will use acetate rather than plastic, which could make the glasses more “durable and luxurious” than similar options from other companies. The company plans to offer several finishes and colors, including black, ocean blue, and tan. The goal is to create something “instantly recognizable,” a concept Apple calls “iconic,” according to Gurman. Think Apple AirPods, Apple Watch: these products are unlike anything else on the market, so when you see them, you immediately know what they are and who makes them. Instead of designing smart glasses that look like any other, like the Meta Ray-Ban , the company wants you to know you’re looking at Apple glasses.
Functionally, Apple’s smart glasses should be similar to the Meta Ray-Ban: you’ll be able to take photos and videos, sync them with your iPhone, receive phone calls, receive incoming notifications, listen to music, and interact with Siri hands-free—presumably with Apple’s AI-powered voice assistant , if the company does release it alongside iOS 27. Gurman says the glasses will be compatible with the upcoming AirPods and a new pendant, which may feature built-in cameras to assist the AI.
My main concern with Apple concerns privacy: smart glasses aren’t necessarily the ideal design for privacy-conscious individuals, as cameras are discreetly integrated into the frames. You can walk around, taking photos and recording videos of people without their explicit knowledge, without drawing the same attention as if you were holding a smartphone. Gurman doesn’t have much to say on the matter, though he does note that Apple takes a slightly different approach to camera design than Meta: Apple’s cameras can be vertical ovals with ambient lighting, as opposed to the circular design of the cameras in Ray-Ban’s Meta glasses.
Although smart glasses are selling, I’m still skeptical that they’ll gain the same traction as smartphones. Smart glasses have their advantages, but smartphones offer far more functionality—at least for now. Until augmented reality technology makes using glasses displays as easy as using an iPhone, I’m not sure people will embrace this technology en masse.