Apple
fromTNW | Apple
1 hour agoApple testing four frame designs for AI smart glasses ahead of 2027 launch
Apple is testing four frame styles for AI-powered smart glasses, targeting production in December 2026 and a launch in spring or summer 2027.
"It's not an overstatement to declare another VR winter," said J.P. Gownder, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester. "I think we might even go as far as to say there's only a handful of successful scenarios where people are using VR." This assessment reflects the industry's struggle to find practical applications beyond niche markets.
At first glance, the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses look like classic Oakley eyewear, but there's a surprising amount of technology packed into the frames. Meta AI is integrated directly into the glasses, working alongside an HD ultra-wide 12MPl camera and built-in five-microphone array. Together, they let you capture photos and videos either by tapping or completely hands-free, using simple voice commands.
The company is building directly on its major success supplying its waveguide technology to glasses, and proving that geometric waveguides work at consumer scale with standard glass. At CES, Lumus showcased a ZOE prototype with a field of view of more than 70 degrees, an optimized Z-30 with 40% more brightness, and a Z-30 2.0 preview that's 40% thinner. David Goldman, VP of marketing, walked me through each demo with clear enthusiasm about the progress Lumus is making.
Smart glasses evangelists often tell me this fear is somewhat overblown. After all, the phone in your pocket also has a camera. The government already uses facial recognition tech, and CCTV feeds are everywhere. Anyone who's ever watched a true-crime documentary or an episode of Law & Order knows that these days, it's hard to step out in public and not be recorded.
First available in October of 2025, Solos is positioning the AirGo A5 as lightweight, comfortable smart glasses with hands-free AI assistance and a long-lasting battery. As a result, the target audience differs from that of the popular Meta Ray-Ban glasses, which are geared more towards content creation, as these are more intended for the AI enthusiast. Yet, they are still an investment, with the cheapest frames costing $249, so I put them to the test to determine if they are worth the price.
Meta is being sued by Solos, a rival smart glasses maker, for infringing on its patents, Bloomberg reports. Solos is seeking "multiple billions of dollars" in damages and an injunction that could prevent Meta from selling its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses as part of the lawsuit. Solos claims that Meta's Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 1 smart glasses violate multiple patents covering "core technologies in the field of smart eyewear."