Apple tests four smart glasses designs and prepares a Meta rival for 2027

Apple is testing four designs for smart glasses without a display and hasn't yet chosen the final look. According to reports about the project, the company is testing four types of frames at once to find a shape that will be simultaneously recognizable, comfortable, and mass-market enough for launch in 2027.

Four frame versions

Apple is currently checking not just one prototype, but several visually different options. This is an important signal: the company hasn't yet finalized the design and appears to be seeking a balance between a fashionable accessory and wearable electronics that don't feel embarrassing to wear every day. The approach resembles Apple Watch's early strategy, where the bet was placed not only on functionality but also on how the device looks on a person.

• Large rectangular frames in the spirit of classic Wayfarer
• Thinner rectangular version in business style
• Large oval or almost circular shape
• More compact and neat oval option

Special focus is placed on materials. Instead of ordinary Apple plastic, the company reportedly uses acetate — a more durable and premium material more often associated with quality optical frames. Among the tested colors are black, ocean blue, and light brown. The idea is simple: the glasses should look not like a gadget experiment, but like a full-fledged accessory that can be integrated into everyday fashion.

What's inside

The first version of the device won't be an AR headset in the spirit of Vision Pro. These glasses, according to available data, won't have a display at all. Apple is making a more down-to-earth product: lightweight glasses with cameras, microphones, speakers, and tight integration with iPhone. This reduces weight, battery life, and entry price requirements, and also allows the company to release the device faster than full-fledged augmented reality glasses.

The design includes two cameras: one for photos and video, the second for computer vision tasks. This one should help Siri and Apple Intelligence understand what's in front of the user and provide more contextual answers. There are also reports of a proprietary energy-efficient chip built on architectural ideas from Apple Watch. In other words, Apple is clearly betting not on a spectacular interface, but on constant background environment recognition and voice interaction.

Externally, this will also differ from current competitors. The front camera module is described as a vertically oriented oval block with indicators around it. This design should immediately distinguish the device from Ray-Ban Meta and other similar models. If Apple brings the idea to release, the glasses could become yet another interface for notifications, calls, music, recording, and quick requests to the voice assistant without needing to pull out the phone every time.

Why Apple needs this product

For Apple, this is an attempt to enter a category that Meta has already managed to legitimize with mass demand. But instead of immediately jumping into complex AR scenarios, the company is taking a more understandable format: ordinary-looking glasses that add a camera, voice, and contextual AI. This is not a replacement for Vision Pro, but a neighboring product — simpler, cheaper, and closer to everyday use.

The timeline also looks quite specific. The company reportedly wants to launch production in December 2026, and a public debut is expected in late 2026 or early 2027. If the schedule doesn't slip, the device could appear in stores in spring or summer 2027.

For Apple, this is an important test: can it turn AI features from a bullet point in a presentation into something people actually wear on their face every day.

What it means

The smart glasses market is entering a phase where the winner won't be the most futuristic idea, but the most wearable product. If Apple really releases lightweight glasses with good design and useful Siri integration, competition in the category will sharply intensify, and AI will finally start moving from the smartphone into everyday accessories.