Apple Accelerates Development of Smart Glasses, AI Pendant, and AirPods with Cameras
Apple appears poised to expand its wearable lineup with a focus on artificial intelligence integration. Recent reports indicate the company is speeding up efforts on three intriguing devices that pair closely with the iPhone and leverage an enhanced version of Siri. These include smart glasses, a compact AI pendant, and AirPods equipped with cameras. The push reflects Apple’s strategy to embed AI more deeply into everyday accessories while keeping the smartphone as the central hub for processing power.
The smart glasses stand out as the most ambitious project in this trio. Unlike some competitors’ offerings, these frames will lack a display but incorporate speakers, microphones, and dual cameras. One camera handles high-resolution photo and video capture, while the other supports advanced computer vision similar to technology found in Apple’s Vision Pro headset. Users might glance at an object and instantly receive relevant details, add calendar events from posters automatically, or get location-based reminders throughout the day. Apple is designing the frames in-house with various sizes and colors available, aiming for superior build quality and camera performance to differentiate from rivals like Meta’s smart glasses. Production could begin by the end of this year, with a potential release in 2027.
Complementing the glasses are simpler, more discreet options like the AI pendant. This device, roughly the size of an AirTag, can clip onto clothing or hang as a necklace. It features a camera and microphone to serve as the iPhone’s “eyes and ears,” feeding visual and audio data to Siri for contextual awareness. The pendant relies on the paired phone for heavy computation, positioning it as an accessory rather than a standalone gadget. Its lower-resolution camera focuses solely on enabling AI functions, avoiding photography or video recording. This design steers clear of pitfalls seen in previous attempts at phone-replacing wearables, such as the Humane AI Pin, which struggled commercially.
AirPods with integrated cameras round out the rumored lineup, bringing expanded AI capabilities to Apple’s popular earbuds. Like the pendant, these would include lower-resolution cameras dedicated to environmental understanding rather than media capture. The setup allows Siri to process what the wearer sees and hears in real time, potentially answering questions about surroundings or offering proactive assistance. These earbuds could arrive sooner than the glasses, possibly within the next year or two, building on the existing AirPods ecosystem.
All three devices emphasize privacy and seamless iPhone connectivity, with cameras primarily powering AI rather than replacing traditional functions. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has a strong track record on Apple insights, shared these details based on sources familiar with the plans. The developments come amid CEO Tim Cook’s comments about exploring new AI-enabled product categories. While timelines remain fluid and nothing is officially confirmed, the direction signals Apple’s intent to lead in AI-driven wearables.
What do you think about Apple’s rumored AI wearables—would you try the smart glasses, pendant, or camera-equipped AirPods, and share your thoughts in the comments?
