With smartphones nearing innovation ceilings, Apple, Google, and Samsung are racing into AI-powered smart glasses—the next big platform, with launches eyed as early as 2026.
Apple is developing “Apple Glass,” a slim wearable potentially debuting next year and scaling by 2027. Unlike the premium Vision Pro, it skips screens and AR, prioritizing everyday AI smarts in a minimalist frame.
Expect visual intelligence via onboard cameras and advanced AI for instant image/video analysis. Health tracking is rumored, though an Apple Korea exec stayed mum.
Google revealed last week its smart glasses comeback—over a decade post-Google Glass flop—partnering with Samsung, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker for 2026 models.
Gemini AI enables seamless voice commands. The starter version is audio-only (no display), handling schedules, restaurant picks, and live translation on demand.
A premium follow-up adds transparent lenses as a heads-up display for nav routes, subtitles, and contextual overlays.
Meta currently dominates with 60%+ market share via Ray-Ban collabs.
