It looks like Apple’s long-rumoured smart glasses might be closer to reality than we thought. A new report from Bloomberg has dropped some serious intel, claiming that Apple Glass — yes, the actual name might change — could ship by the end of 2026 or early 2027. That’s way earlier than the 2030 timeline other leaks had suggested, and it means Apple is ramping up its wearable game in a big way.
So what’s the plan? Apple’s reportedly still figuring out the final design, but one thing’s clear — these aren’t going to be clunky goggles. Think fashionable, everyday wear with a layer of futuristic tech baked in. And of course, Apple wants to outshine Meta, which is already ahead in the smart glasses race with its Ray-Ban collab.
While the Vision Pro went all-in on immersive AR, Apple Glass is expected to be more about subtle, screenless overlays — maybe like live info over your real-world view, without actually projecting the outside world like a camera-based headset. There’s no leaked hardware just yet, but Apple is reportedly leaning towards a minimalist aesthetic, taking cues from the Apple Watch in keeping things subtle but stylish.
So far, everything we’ve seen in patent drawings looks more like safety glasses than something you’d wear to brunch — but remember, patent sketches rarely reflect the final product. Internally, the project is no longer called “N50” — it’s now known as “N401,” and sources say it’s become a top priority for Tim Cook himself.
Of course, for Apple Glass to work, the tech has to be tiny. We’re talking serious miniaturisation. That’s why Apple is reportedly working on custom chips designed specifically for the glasses. To make them slim and light enough to wear comfortably, Apple may offload a lot of the heavy processing to a nearby iPhone — kind of like how early Apple Watches leaned on the iPhone to get things done.
It’s an ambitious project, but if Apple pulls it off, it could completely change how we interact with the world — and finally give us that futuristic, sci-fi style wearable people have been dreaming about. Watch this space, because if things go according to plan, Apple Glass might just be the company’s next big thing.
