According to a report from renowned Apple insider Mark Gurman, Apple is accelerating the development of three new wearable devices as part of its shift towards artificial intelligence-driven hardware. This emerging market has also attracted active participation from companies like OpenAI and Meta. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Gurman stated that Apple is advancing three product categories: smart glasses, a pendant-style device that can be clipped to clothing or worn as a necklace, and AirPods with enhanced AI capabilities. All three devices will be centered around the Siri digital assistant and will rely on "visual context awareness" to perform tasks.

Gurman added that these products will connect to the iPhone and be equipped with camera systems of varying capabilities. The design philosophy for the AirPods and the pendant is to be simpler products with low-resolution cameras intended primarily to assist the AI, rather than for taking photos or videos. The glasses are positioned as a more premium product with richer features. At a company-wide meeting earlier this month, CEO Tim Cook hinted at a major push into the AI device space, stating that Apple is working on entirely new AI-powered "product categories" and that the company is "very excited" about them. He also noted that Apple is increasing its investment in new technologies as "the world is changing rapidly."

Despite strong iPhone sales, Apple is still playing catch-up in the AI field. Upgrades to Siri have faced technical challenges, leading to multiple delays in their release. In the long term, AI is expected to transform how consumers use phones, with more functions shifting to peripheral devices. Currently, Meta's smart glasses have seen some success, and OpenAI is also developing multiple wearable devices. Apple's previous attempt at a new category, the high-priced Apple Vision Pro headset, has not gained widespread market acceptance. Consequently, the company aims to accelerate its deployment of wearables to keep users within the Apple ecosystem.

Regarding the smart glasses, Gurman wrote that they will serve as the high-end model in Apple's AI hardware lineup, directly competing with Meta's camera-equipped glasses. They will feature high-resolution cameras capable of capturing photos and videos. Development of this product, codenamed "N50," has progressed significantly in recent months. Apple has distributed more prototypes for testing within its hardware engineering department, targeting the start of production as early as December this year, with a planned public release in 2027. Similar to some of Meta's existing products, Apple's glasses will not have a display. Instead, interaction will occur through speakers, a microphone, and cameras, supporting phone calls, Siri usage, context-based actions, music playback, and photo capture. An employee revealed that Apple even considered a partnership to launch the product, aligning with industry trends at the time, but recently decided to develop the frames in various sizes and colors independently, aiming to differentiate on build quality and camera technology.

According to Gurman's description, early Apple prototypes connected to an external battery and iPhone via a cable, but the new version integrates components into the frame, using premium materials like acrylic to enhance the feel. The device will be equipped with two cameras: one for high-resolution imaging and another for computer vision—similar to technology used in the Vision Pro—for more accurate environmental recognition and depth sensing. Apple's goal is for the glasses to function as an all-day AI assistant, understanding what the user sees and does in real-time. This could include identifying objects, querying food ingredients, reading text from a poster and automatically adding it to a calendar, generating context-aware reminders, or even using real-world landmarks for navigation guidance. Gurman noted that Apple is also exploring more advanced applications, such as reading printed text and converting it into data—for instance, directly adding event details from a poster to a calendar. The device could also create situational reminders, like prompting a user to pick up a specific item when they are in a supermarket. To aid navigation, Siri could reference actual landmarks instead of giving generic instructions.

Acknowledging that not everyone is willing to wear glasses, Apple is also developing the pendant and camera-equipped AirPods. The pendant concept was proposed by Apple's industrial design team. It is similar to the previously unsuccessful Humane AI Pin but is positioned as an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone device. It would essentially act as a "portable camera and microphone" for the phone, with one employee describing it as the phone's "eyes and ears." Unlike Humane's device, Apple's pendant would not have a projector or display, relying primarily on the iPhone for processing power, making its performance more akin to AirPods. Wearing options include clipping it to clothing or hanging it from a necklace, with a size comparable to an AirTag. This project is still in the early stages and could be canceled; if it proceeds, a launch could occur as early as next year.

As for the AirPods, Apple began exploring the concept of camera-equipped earbuds as early as 2024 and has continued to add AI features, such as last year's real-time translation mode. A release could happen as soon as this year. For the more distant future, Apple also plans to launch smart glasses with augmented reality displays for richer data overlay, but these are still years away from market. Beyond wearables, Apple is also developing home AI hardware, including a smart display based on a new version of Siri, a larger screen version with a robotic arm, an upgraded HomePod speaker, and small indoor sensors for home security and automation.