(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Apple's long-rumored smart glasses may be one step closer to reality. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company has made significant progress on the new chips it plans to use in its upcoming glasses.
The company is experimenting with two different types of wearable form factors. One will include augmented reality (AR), a technology it already uses in its Vision Pro headset, and the other will drop AR. The latter will compete with devices like the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses as it moves into fashion-focused wearables.
Bloomberg's sources say the processor Apple is working on is similar to the one in the Apple Watch, with some elements removed to improve power efficiency and make it fit smaller devices.
This source also says the company aims to enter mass production by the end of 2027; it may happen sooner, but not before 2026. That would suggest a version of these smart glasses may be ready for the market in the next few years.
The non-AR glasses will likely use cameras to monitor the environment. Apple Intelligence will also play a role, though its AI technology is still working through some growing pains.
Bloomberg's report also says that the company has begun work on its next few generations of chips for Mac products. That includes the M6, codenamed Komodo, and the M7, codenamed Borneo. It's also rumored to be working on a more advanced chip called Sotra, which may follow after the M7. But first, Apple is rumored to be bringing the M5 chip to its Mac Pro and iPad Pro lines later this year.