Apple won't be taking on Meta and Ray-Ban smart glasses anytime soon – Samsung Galaxy Glasses remain the biggest challenge
Apple has reportedly delayed its own smart glasses until late 2027
Quick Summary
Apple has reportedly delayed its first smart glasses, which are now not expected until "late 2027".
It will likely want to get the launch of the new, more powerful Apple Intelligence out of the way first.
The smart glasses market is certainly growing, with more models released in the last 12 months than pretty much every previous year put together. But don't expect Apple to come to the table anytime soon.
Even though it is rumoured to be joining the likes of Meta and Ray-Ban, plus newcomers Samsung and Google, with its own AI-powered spectacles, a new report claims that the project has been delayed.
We're not likely to see Apple Glass until "late 2027", in fact.
According to Bloomberg's resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman, even though Apple planned to announce its own smart glasses this year and launch them early next "there have been delays".
"There have been some bumps on the road to Apple becoming an eyewear giant," he wrote in his PowerOn newsletter this weekend.
"As is often the case with major new Apple products, there have been delays. The company is now working toward launching the glasses at the end of next year, I’m told," he added.
This gives the Meta x Ray-Ban / Oakley partnership further time to strengthen its position as market leader. Even the launch of Samsung Galaxy Glass – part of the Intelligent Eyewear platform and collection announced during Google I/O – won't come until later this year.
We suspect the first Samsung glasses will be officially launch during July's Galaxy Unpacked event, alongside the latest foldables, but we're not sure when they'll be available to buy as yet.
As for Apple, the other suggestion is that even what Apple Glass arrives, it could be locked to the company's ecosystem. This comes as no surprise as Apple products don't tend to work natively with Android that often.
But a delay makes sense anyway, considering Apple Intelligence has largely lagged behind rival AI systems until now. We fully expect to learn about the all-new version – powered by Google systems and Gemini – during WWDC 26 next week, but even that would have to be bedded into other devices before becoming the bedrock for a new product line.
So, if you are after a pair of smart glasses, you're best to look elsewhere at present.
