Apple is set to launch camera-equipped AirPods with AI Visual Intelligence alongside new iPhones, positioning the device as a privacy-first alternative to Meta Ray-Bans by using camera feeds solely to provide Siri with environmental context rather than recording content.
The AI smart glasses market explodes 139% as Google, Samsung, Snap, and others race to challenge Meta's 82% market dominance, but experts warn true mass adoption remains elusive until in-lens displays can be delivered comfortably and affordably.
Apple races to develop smart glasses while wrestling with privacy concerns over potential video recording features, and simultaneously prepares three new Apple Watch models, updated Macs, a device leasing program, and a new Maps partnership with Ford.
Samsung unveils AI-powered smart glasses with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, featuring Gemini AI, a camera, open-ear speakers, and 9 hours of battery life — directly challenging Meta's Ray-Ban glasses with a fall launch.
A new open-source project called Spectacles Dimensional OS now lets users control real Unitree robots in real-time using Snap Spectacles AR headsets, featuring manual spatial navigation and an AI-powered voice command mode backed by OpenAI.
Chinese smart glasses startup Even Realities hits a $1 billion unicorn valuation after securing $150 million in Tencent-backed funding, with its privacy-focused G2 glasses challenging Meta's dominance in a market that surged 167% year-over-year in Q1 2026.
Apple VP Paul Meade, who led Vision Pro and AI smart glasses development, is leaving to join OpenAI's rapidly expanding hardware team amid an internal leadership shake-up linked to John Ternus' expected rise to CEO.
Apple Vision Pro engineering VP Paul Meade is leaving Apple to join OpenAI's hardware unit, reuniting with Jony Ive and former Apple colleagues to build next-generation AI-powered devices, as Apple struggles with Vision Pro's poor sales and pivots toward smart glasses.
Smart glasses sales explode 167% year-over-year in Q1 2026 as AI supercharges AR technology, with broader AR/VR categories surging 86%, driven by consumer demand for real-world AI assistants and fueled by breakthroughs in chip miniaturization and display tech that are pushing the industry closer than ever to mainstream adoption.
Snap launches Spectacles AR glasses at $2,195, delivering a 115-inch virtual cinema screen in a lightweight 136-gram wearable that bridges the gap between smart glasses and full headsets, targeting developers and early adopters as a milestone toward an AI-powered future that could eventually replace smartphones.