Apple Flies into Meta's Territory with New AI Powered Glasses
Apple is shifting course in its wearable tech roadmap, aiming to launch its first pair of smart glasses by 2026. The company has halted development of a camera-equipped Apple Watch, choosing instead to focus on hardware that aligns more closely with its long-term artificial intelligence and augmented reality strategy. The glasses are expected to serve as a lightweight, AI-driven companion for everyday use, positioned more for ambient computing than immersive entertainment.
The Competition with Meta
While Apple has led in smartphones and tablets, it now finds itself trailing in the wearables race for smart glasses. Meta, with its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses already on the market, has taken an early lead in combining AR features with AI voice assistance. The company’s planned entry is not a first-mover play, but a calculated response designed to catch up with, and ultimately surpass Meta through superior integration, privacy, and design.
Why It Matters
Apple’s pivot to smart glasses highlights how even the most dominant tech companies must sometimes play defense. Meta has gained real-world traction in AR glasses, and Apple now finds itself working to close that gap. The success or failure of Apple’s delayed entry could reshape the power dynamics in the next era of personal computing, where wearables powered by AI are the battleground.
Go Deeper -> Apple Plans Glasses for 2026 as Part of AI Push, Nixes Watch With Camera – Bloomberg
