Meta is already ahead of Apple in the smart glasses race, forcing the company to reportedly divert resources and manpower from the second-generation Vision Pro to its own pair of spectacles, which are scheduled to arrive in 2026. Unfortunately, the first iteration is said to ship without an AR screen, as this feature will arrive with the second model.
Developers will have time to prepare their apps for Apple’s first smart glasses, because the report claims that these spectacles are due to release sometime in 2027
The exact month of Apple’s smart glasses announcement was not mentioned by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his ‘Power On’ newsletter, but an unveiling could take place in 2026, with a launch happening in 2027. This timeline mirrors the Apple Vision Pro and is being maintained so developers can have their applications ready for the platform.
Sadly, the most disappointing aspect of this report was that Apple’s smart glasses will not feature an AR screen. Instead, the device will perform tasks such as answering phone calls, taking pictures, and other actions without requiring the user to whip out his or her iPhone. The report does not state if these smart spectacles will require some tethering to expand its features set.
However, Apple was previously reported to have scrapped this version for fear that it would fail, suggesting that we will bear witness to a standalone product. As for its weight and processing capabilities, Apple has already demonstrated what it can achieve with the iPhone Air, so we look forward to seeing the smart glasses preview next year.
A transition to a more advanced lithography in 2026 could make way for Apple’s smart glasses to avoid any overheating and overweight problems
More than half of TSMC’s 2nm N2 initial capacity has reportedly been secured by Apple as it aims to keep competition like Qualcomm and MediaTek at bay. Compared to the Taiwanese semiconductor giant’s 3nm N3P process, N2 offers up to a 10 percent performance gain at the same time and up to 20 percent improved efficiency.
Looking at these metrics, the silicon powering the smart glasses could avoid being heavy and bulky, as a 2nm chipset will negate the requirement of an adequate thermal design. Back in 2023, such a device was nearly impossible to conjure because it would need to deliver iPhone-level performance at one-tenth of the power draw. Well, it appears that Apple can easily break the thermal limitations thanks to TSMC’s advanced lithography.
Of course, the lack of an AR screen will likely push away potential buyers, as having a HUD for interacting with the product seamlessly is what the majority of readers would be hoping to see. Hopefully, Apple will deliver with the second iteration, but at the time of writing, no launch timeline was provided.
News Source: Bloomberg
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