But new reports suggest the Cupertino giant will debut AI camera glasses arrive before then
If you were hoping to swap your iPhone for a pair of sleek Apple augmented reality glasses any time soon, you might want to settle in for a long wait. A fresh market forecast from research firm Omdia suggests that the brand’s ‘true’ AR glasses—the ones featuring integrated displays—aren’t expected to hit the shelves until 2028 at the earliest.
This pushes the idea of a fully heads-up Apple interface significantly further down the roadmap, reportedly due to the immense technical challenges of perfecting OLEDoS (OLED-on-Silicon) technology.
This specialized display tech, which puts pixels directly onto silicon wafers for extreme density, is the holy grail for AR, but it remains notoriously difficult to manufacture at the scale and battery efficiency Apple demands.
According to the Omdia report, Apple is likely to follow a similar timeline to Meta, which is also eyeing 2027 or 2028 for its own next-generation AR eyewear.
While competitors like Samsung and Asus are already showing off OLEDoS prototypes with staggering 5,000 PPI densities, Apple appears to be playing its usual game of patient refinement.
The 2028 projected date suggests Cupertino is prioritizing display clarity and a seamless connection to the iPhone ecosystem over being first to market.
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However, while the high-end AR dream is deferred, other reports suggest Apple isn’t planning to leave the bridge of your nose empty in the meantime.
Fresh details emerge regarding the Apple ‘N50’ frames
Despite the 2028 AR target, we may see a pair of Apple smart glasses as early as 2027—they just won’t have a screen. Latest reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman indicate that Apple is accelerating work on a display-less pair of AI camera glasses, codenamed N50.
Reportedly designed to compete directly with Meta’s Ray-Bans, these frames are expected to use a dual-camera system to serve as the eyes and ears for a revamped Siri. They will, for example, allow the assistant to see what you see and provide real-time audio context about your surroundings.
Internal prototypes of the N50 project have recently moved into a broader testing phase within Apple’s hardware division, it’s said, with a production start targeted for December 2026.
As we always say, we won’t know anything until the company crystallizes its plans in an official event, but stay tuned for more whispers and rumors over the coming months.
