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Apple is reportedly looking into making smart glasses as well as ways to enhance AirPods with cameras and other features.
Smart glasses at Apple are in an early "technology investigation" phase at the company's hardware engineering division, Bloomberg reports. Apple is also looking into how to make its AirPods smarter by potentially adding cameras, AI-powered features, and health sensors.
The iPhone maker has considered making glasses that could offer some of the AirPods' current functionality, though it's unclear if such plans will come to fruition.
There's also a chance that because the smart glasses are in such an early stage of development, they could be shelved for years or scrapped entirely. But there could be an appetite for a more affordable wearable device from Apple, whose $3,500 Vision Pro has been worn like glasses to do bizarre and dangerous things like eat dinner with a friend, walk down a busy street, and even drive a vehicle.
Some Apple employees want the tech giant to develop a fitness ring that could offer similar health features to what its Apple Watch brings, but an Apple smart ring isn't currently in active development, Bloomberg reports.
If Apple smart glasses are indeed in the works, such a device wouldn't be the first of its kind to hit the market, though. Many firms have launched tech-enhanced glasses over the years, from Google's now-defunct Glass wearable first revealed way back in 2012 to Snap's Spectacles line. Meta's Ray-Ban collab is among the most recent smart glasses launches, packing cameras, sound, and a voice assistant into its design.
Apple is also reportedly developing a new version of its HomePod with an iPad-like touch screen, but it's unlikely the device would release this year, Bloomberg says.
Apple hasn't yet officially confirmed these smart glasses, AirPods, or HomePod plans, and PCMag has reached out to Apple for comment.