Apple is reportedly exploring entry into the AI-powered smart glasses market through internal focus groups, even as the company scales back production of its struggling Vision Pro headset. According to Bloomberg, Apple has begun gathering employee feedback on existing smart glasses products and plans to conduct additional focus groups—a typical strategy the tech giant employs when considering new product categories.
The timing is significant as Meta’s AI-enabled Ray-Ban smart glasses gain mainstream traction, recently earning a coveted spot on Oprah Winfrey’s 2024 holiday gift guide. Meta’s third-quarter earnings highlighted “strong momentum” with its AI-powered eyewear, which starts at $300 and features cameras, speakers, microphones, and AI capabilities—all in a form factor that resembles regular sunglasses.
Apple’s Vision Pro headset, launched in February 2024 at $3,500, has faced lukewarm consumer demand due to its premium pricing and lack of compelling applications. The Information reported last month that Apple has reduced Vision Pro production. The headset requires an external battery pack and presents an iPad-like display controlled through hand gestures and voice commands—a far cry from the lightweight, everyday wearability of Meta’s Ray-Bans.
The smart glasses market has historically been challenging, with Google and Snap both failing to achieve mainstream success with previous eyewear attempts. However, both companies are reportedly developing new versions. If Apple targets competition with Meta’s unreleased Orion glasses—demonstrated by Mark Zuckerberg at $10,000 but not yet consumer-ready—the company has time to refine its approach.
Morningstar analyst William Kerwin suggests Apple’s ultimate eyewear goal is “a form factor closer to glasses,” indicating the company may be moving away from bulky headset designs. This aligns with Apple’s characteristic strategy of entering markets later with refined products. The company only launched its generative AI software last week, several months behind competitors, demonstrating its preference for deliberate product development over first-mover advantage.
Apple has not commented on the reports, but the focus groups reportedly began last week, signaling early-stage exploration rather than imminent product launch.
Key Quotes
a form factor closer to glasses
Morningstar analyst William Kerwin described Apple’s likely ultimate eyewear goal, suggesting the company aims to move beyond bulky headsets toward more conventional, wearable designs that consumers would actually use daily.
strong momentum
Meta’s third-quarter earnings report characterized the performance of its AI-powered smart glasses, indicating that the company is finding success with its Ray-Ban collaboration where Apple’s Vision Pro has struggled.
Our Take
Apple’s pivot toward smart glasses represents a pragmatic acknowledgment that consumer adoption follows convenience, not technological sophistication. The Vision Pro’s struggles demonstrate that even Apple’s brand power cannot overcome fundamental usability barriers. Meta’s Ray-Ban success proves the market wants AI capabilities integrated into normal-looking, affordable eyewear—not $3,500 face computers. This shift could accelerate the “invisible AI” trend, where artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everyday objects rather than requiring dedicated devices. If Apple applies its design philosophy and ecosystem integration to smart glasses, we could finally see the product category achieve the mainstream adoption that has eluded Google Glass and Snapchat Spectacles. The real question is whether Apple can move quickly enough in a market where Meta has established significant momentum.
Why This Matters
This development signals a potential major shift in Apple’s spatial computing strategy and validates the growing importance of AI-powered wearables in the consumer technology landscape. Apple’s exploration of smart glasses suggests the company recognizes that bulky, expensive headsets may not be the optimal form factor for mainstream adoption of augmented reality and AI-powered computing.
Meta’s success with AI-enabled Ray-Ban glasses demonstrates consumer appetite for subtle, practical AI integration rather than immersive but cumbersome devices. This could reshape the entire AR/VR industry’s direction, moving away from Meta’s metaverse vision toward everyday AI assistants worn as fashionable accessories.
For the broader AI industry, this represents the convergence of artificial intelligence with ambient computing—AI that’s always accessible but not intrusive. Smart glasses with AI capabilities could become the next major platform for AI assistants, computer vision applications, and real-time information overlay, potentially rivaling smartphones as the primary interface for AI services. Apple’s entry would bring significant resources, design expertise, and ecosystem integration that could finally make smart glasses a mainstream product category.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-reportedly-looking-into-smart-glasses-market-2024-11