Apple Smart Glasses Rumours: Everything We Know So Far
Apple's answer to Meta's Ray-Ban glasses has been "coming soon" for years now — and as of mid-2026, the timeline has slipped again.
What's confirmed
Apple is actively developing smart glasses, internally codenamed N50.
Multiple outlets, most notably Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, have consistently reported for well over a year that Apple has a dedicated glasses project in development as an iPhone accessory, in the vein of AirPods or the Apple Watch, rather than a standalone spatial computer like Vision Pro.
The launch has been pushed back to late 2027.
Gurman's Power On newsletter reported on 31 May 2026 that Apple has delayed the glasses by roughly a year, from an original late-2026/early-2027 target to late 2027. The delay has been corroborated by multiple other outlets including AppleInsider and 9to5Mac, with reporting pointing to concerns about the maturity of Apple's visual AI ("Visual Intelligence") features being a driving factor.
What's reported
The glasses reportedly won't include an in-lens AR display at launch.
According to Gurman, the first-generation N50 glasses will lean on cameras, microphones, speakers and an upgraded Siri rather than any kind of heads-up display — putting them closer in concept to Meta's camera-and-audio Ray-Bans than to Meta's newer Ray-Ban Display model. Gurman reportedly doesn't expect Apple to add a display feature for at least a few years after the first launch.
Design details point to oval camera housings and multiple frame styles.
Leaks describe oval-shaped camera cutouts, a range of colour options, and several frame styles aimed at making the glasses feel like a fashion accessory rather than a gadget — reportedly a deliberate contrast to how utilitarian the first Vision Pro looked.
Pricing is expected to land somewhere between US$200 and US$500.
That range has shown up consistently across reporting on the project, positioning the glasses to compete directly with Meta's Ray-Ban lineup rather than at Vision Pro's premium price point. No exact figure, and certainly no NZD conversion, has been confirmed by Apple.
A cheaper Vision Air headset has reportedly been pushed out even further, to 2028–2029.
Separately from the glasses, Apple is said to be working on a lighter, more affordable Vision Pro successor. Gurman's most recent reporting suggests that project has also slipped, landing somewhere around 2028 to 2029 rather than the earlier 2027 target some reports floated.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has offered a slightly different production timeline.
Kuo has separately suggested mass production could begin around Q2 2027, with 3–5 million-plus units potentially shipping across 2027 — broadly consistent with a late-2027 consumer launch but framed around supply chain ramp-up rather than a specific announcement date.
Twisti's opinion
We think the repeated delays are a good sign for the eventual product, even if it's frustrating to wait.
Apple has a track record of sitting out a category until it can ship something meaningfully polished — AirPods and Apple Watch both benefited from that patience. Rushing glasses without solid on-device AI to compete with Meta's head start would likely mean returns and bad reviews. For NZ shoppers specifically, a late-2027 launch also means plenty of time for local pricing and availability to become clear before you need to make a decision.
What we'll update
We'll revise this page as soon as Apple confirms an official announcement date, a specific price, or any detail about international availability including New Zealand and Australia.
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