Apple is reportedly testing multiple design options for upcoming smart glasses, with a planned 2027 sales launch and a possible unveiling later this year, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman as reported by TechCrunch. The approach centers on a set of frame styles and color choices, and notably does not include displays—a shift from Apple’s prior mixed-reality strategy.
What Apple is testing
According to Gurman’s reporting, Apple plans to sell its first smart glasses in 2027, with a possible unveiling at the end of this year. Gurman has tracked Apple’s smart glasses strategy, and the latest details focus on form factor: Apple is testing four designs and could ultimately launch with some or all of them.
The four designs reportedly include:
- A large rectangular frame
- A slimmer rectangular frame (described as similar to the glasses worn by CEO Tim Cook)
- A larger oval or circular frame
- A smaller oval or circular frame
Apple is also considering different colors, including black, ocean blue, and light brown. These details suggest the company is treating the glasses as a product line with variants tuned for fit, wearability, and style preferences.
A shift from mixed reality to a display-free approach
These glasses represent a change from an earlier plan that called for Apple to launch a variety of mixed and augmented reality devices. That plan encountered product delays and the lackluster reception of the Vision Pro.
The new glasses are closer to the category represented by Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses. The reported Apple glasses will not have displays. Instead, they will enable users to take photos and videos, with Apple reportedly using oval camera lenses.
Beyond media capture, the feature list centers on communication and audio: the glasses would reportedly allow users to answer phone calls, play music, and interact with the long-promised Siri upgrade. The absence of a display represents a significant technology shift, changing the user interface from visual overlays to audio- and capture-driven interactions.
Design choices and hardware strategy
Hardware decisions like frame geometry, color options, and the presence or absence of a display signal how a company expects a product to be used. Based on the report’s description, Apple’s glasses strategy appears to focus on wearability and capture/interaction rather than on-device visual rendering.
The reported direction reflects Apple’s earlier mixed and augmented reality ambitions and the challenges that accompanied them—specifically, delays and Vision Pro’s reception. The comparison to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses suggests Apple is not attempting to create a completely separate interaction model. If Apple’s glasses lack displays and rely instead on camera lenses and Siri-based interaction, the differentiation may come through software—particularly the Siri upgrade—or through how camera capture and audio features are implemented.
Industry context
The report places Apple’s glasses within a broader market shift toward smart glasses that focus on photos and videos, phone calls, and music without requiring a visible display. The comparison to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses provides a reference point for how this segment is being defined.
The feature list implies a system architecture built around:
- Sensing for capturing photos and videos (described as “oval camera lenses”)
- Audio I/O for music playback and phone call handling
- Voice interaction via Siri
For Apple, this could indicate the company is focusing on integrating voice and media capture into a glasses form factor rather than investing primarily in display hardware and mixed reality software.
Apple may test multiple frame sizes and shapes—large rectangular, slimmer rectangular, larger oval/circular, and smaller oval/circular. Industry observers may track which designs Apple selects for launch and whether it releases with “some or all” of the tested options, which could indicate a portfolio approach rather than a single product launch.
What to watch next
According to Gurman’s reporting, the timeline includes a possible unveiling at the end of this year and sales in 2027. The report does not address several technical questions that may emerge in subsequent coverage: how the camera capture will function in the reported oval lens design, how the Siri upgrade will be delivered through the glasses’ interaction model, and how Apple will handle audio features such as phone calls and music playback without a display.
For those tracking wearables, the key takeaway is that Apple’s reported smart glasses plan emphasizes a display-free approach, multiple hardware form factors, and Siri-centered interaction—a direction that contrasts with the company’s earlier mixed and augmented reality device strategy.
Source: TechCrunch