Apple's smart glasses delayed to late 2027 as Meta extends its lead in AI eyewear market

Apple's AI Glasses Face Another Product Delay

Apple's smart glasses won't arrive until late 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, marking another setback in the company's eyewear ambitions 1

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. The company had initially planned to unveil the glasses by the end of 2026 and begin shipments in early 2027, but development challenges have forced a timeline shift 4

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. The holdup centers on Apple's visual AI features, which the company considers essential to the product and doesn't want to ship without 4

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Codenamed N50, the glasses are being developed as a lightweight platform for Apple Intelligence, featuring cameras, microphones, and integration with Siri 4

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. According to Gurman, the glasses will include oval-shaped cameras, unique colors, and multiple frame styles designed to stand out from competitors 1

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. The device is expected to feature multimodal AI that could respond to requests via Siri, along with cameras for capturing videos and photos, plus microphones and speakers for handling phone calls, listening to notifications, and playing music 1

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Meta's Market Lead Grows Stronger

While Apple struggles with development challenges, Meta has built a commanding position in the wearable AI category. The company held an 82% market share in the second half of 2025, according to Counterpoint Research 3

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. The smart glasses market grew 139% year-over-year during this period, demonstrating the category's rapid expansion 1

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Meta's Ray-Ban Meta Glasses lineup now ranges from $299 for the camera-and-AI model up to $799 for the display version 4

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. The company has been selling AI-powered smart glasses since 2023 and has steadily expanded its offerings, recently adding prescription-compatible frames to target people who need corrective lenses daily 4

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. Unlike Apple, Meta's smart glasses work across both Android and iOS, giving the company access to a much larger audience and a significant advantage as the eyewear market expands 2

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Apple's Vision Roadmap Drastically Reduced

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that the company has slashed its Vision product roadmap from seven devices to just two, a change approved by incoming CEO John Ternus 3

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. The surviving products include the AI-powered smart glasses expected in 2027 and a display-equipped pair using augmented reality technologies with optical waveguides, which won't arrive until 2029 at the earliest 3

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Apple has cancelled five products, including plans for a Vision Pro successor and the lighter Vision Air 3

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. This strategic shift prioritizes smart glasses with greater mass-market potential over mixed reality headsets 3

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. People close to outgoing CEO Tim Cook tell Gurman that he is a strong supporter of the smart glasses project and regards them as his top priority, while Ternus has led the product development team for the past two years 1

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Strategic Implications and Market Positioning

Apple is targeting the mainstream eyewear segment, particularly products priced between $200 and $500, which would place the company in competition with brands owned by eyewear giants such as EssilorLuxottica, Safilo, and Warby Parker 5

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. The company reportedly sees a similar opportunity in eyewear as with the Apple Watch, believing that integration with its ecosystem of more than two billion active devices, combined with AI-powered features, could encourage consumers to choose Apple-branded eyewear over traditional alternatives 5

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However, every month Apple spends restructuring its product roadmap is a month Meta spends selling, iterating, and building the retail infrastructure that makes smart glasses feel normal 3

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. Meta is already preparing additional smart glasses models, potentially expanding beyond its Ray-Ban partnership 2

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. By the time Apple finally arrives, Meta could have years of real-world experience, user feedback, and ecosystem development under its belt 2

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