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It seems like every big tech company is getting into AI wearables, and Apple is on board. According to trusted Bloomberg correspondent Mark Gurman, Three of Apple’s wearables is in the works, and will arrive anywhere later this year or late next year.
The three reported devices are glasses, pins, and the more advanced AirPods. All of these have been previously reported in various stories, but Gurman’s latest update hints at how they will work in tandem with each other. This is exactly what I expected: in fact, I wrote about it a few weeks ago In a story about all the AI and wearable reports that have come out.
Gemini can be the master piece
Apple Recent deal with Google For Gemini to power the next wave of Apple AI, I always suggested wearables, because Gemini’s camera-enabled and live modes are key to Google’s next wave of glasses coming later this year.
Apple could use Gemini to leap forward into the camera and context-aware live AI functionality that could make these new wearables work.
Glasses: Out of stock at the moment
The AI glasses in Gorman’s report look more like display-free glasses Meta Ray BanEquipped with cameras, microphones and speakers. According to Gorman, two camera sensors will split the sensory awareness and photo/video duties. The designs and bezels may be made by Apple, which is something I expected to be the case based on every other Apple product. Apple also has retail stores where you can try on these glasses and select a size.
I expect a similar set of features on them to what Meta and Google already offer: recording, assistive features like routing, translation, and audio captions, and audio features that would make them work like AirPods in glasses.
The glasses are expected to appear next year, but if so, I expect Apple to offer a sneak preview of them this year in a move similar to what it did with the Vision Pro and the original Apple Watch.
It always made sense for Apple to manufacture glasses, considering its superiority in camera and audio technology. As I said beforeGlasses parts are already distributed in a variety of Apple devices, to some extent.
The infrared cameras on the AirPods could provide them with an interface that lets them work with glasses and pins.
AirPods: Infrared cameras for gestures, and maybe more
It looks like an AirPods update expected later this year will be the focus Add infrared cameras to AirPods Pro 3 design. These cameras should be tracking gestures, not taking photos: they’ll probably work a little like the Vision Pro’s close-range hand tracking does, and they’ll probably work in the dark, too.
If these devices arrive in 2026, they will be Apple’s first piece to the next wearable puzzle. They’ll likely push some of the AI functionality into the AirPods, and will allow for some simple hand gestures that can control music or interact with workouts. It could also be a way to test hand-tracking technology that could land on glasses as well.
The Humane AI pin was a flop, but it’s possible Apple could revive the idea as an accessory for the iPhone.
A pin too, maybe?
Gorman confirms that a camera-enabled AI pin is also in the works, and is also scheduled for release in 2027… although there’s also a possibility that this pin won’t happen at all. This reflects the report From the information earlier this year.
Most other technology companies were attracted to the pendants And pins latelyJudging by the ads Made at CES In January. Brooches can be more versatile to wear, and perhaps serve as a hedge in case not everyone likes the idea of glasses. Apple probably doesn’t actually manufacture all three. Or maybe they do. The report seems less certain about the pin’s arrival than it does about the new glasses and AirPods. The Apple pin clearly looks like an iPhone accessory and not a standalone device like the dud Human artificial intelligence pinfocusing on assistive camera and audio functions (and perhaps a hand-tracking interface).
None of these devices will have displays, but in the future, Apple could find a way to blend the low-cost Vision headset in a glasses-like form with these types of small wearables. Or maybe Apple is discovering ways to explore new interfaces on wearables first before cracking down on a new wave of wearable displays afterward. Vision Pro.
We probably won’t hear anything about any of this until at least Apple’s WWDC developer conference in June, but right now I’m very curious how much of these plans might emerge after that… considering that Google might be preparing, too. Eyewear collection very soon, With Google I/O On deck in late May.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.