Apple Accelerates AI Hardware Development with Smart Glasses, AirPods, Pendant

Apple is accelerating the development of three new wearable devices, shifting towards artificial intelligence-powered hardware. This category is also being pursued by other major technology organisations.

Credit: APPLE

The company is ramping up work on smart glasses, a pendant, and AirPods with expanded AI capabilities. People familiar with the plans indicate these products represent a focus on AI-enabled devices.

All three devices will depend on a camera system and link to Apple’s iPhone. They will also build around the Siri digital assistant, which will rely on visual context to carry out actions.

The AirPods and pendant are envisioned as simpler offerings. They are equipped with lower-resolution cameras designed to help the AI function, rather than for taking photos or videos.

The smart glasses, however, will be more upscale and feature-rich. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook hinted at the company's push into AI devices in an all-hands meeting with employees earlier this month.

Cook stated Apple was working on new "categories of products" enabled by AI and expressed excitement about the development. He added that the company was investing in new technology, acknowledging rapid global changes.

While iPhone sales remain robust, Apple is playing catch-up in AI. Revamping Siri has been a key challenge, with development snags delaying its rollout.

The company is preparing a version of the assistant for iOS 27, due later this year. This version will feature a chatbot-like interface, relying on underlying models co-developed with Google.

AI is expected to change how consumers use phones in the long run, with more activities shifting to peripheral devices. Apple seeks a breakthrough with its accelerated push into wearable devices.

The smart glasses, code-named N50, are planned as an advanced offering in Apple’s AI hardware line-up. They are intended to compete with Meta’s camera-equipped eyewear and include a high-resolution camera for photos and video.

Apple has made significant progress on its glasses in recent months, distributing a broader set of prototypes within its hardware engineering division. The company is targeting the start of production as early as December, ahead of a public release in 2027.

Like similar current offerings from Meta, the glasses will not include a display. Instead, the interface will rely on speakers, microphones, and cameras, allowing users to make phone calls, access Siri, and take actions based on surroundings.

Users will also be able to play music and take photos. The glasses will include two camera lenses: one for high-resolution imagery and another for computer vision.

The second sensor is designed to give the device environmental context, helping it more accurately interpret surroundings and measure the distance between objects. The goal is for the glasses to function as an all-day AI companion.

This companion would be capable of understanding what a user is seeing and doing in real time. Wearers could look at an object, ask what it is, and receive help with everyday tasks, such as inquiring about meal ingredients.

Apple is also exploring more advanced uses. The glasses could read printed text, converting it into digital data, such as adding event poster information directly to a calendar. The device could also create context-aware reminders.

These reminders might prompt a user to grab an item when looking at the correct shelf in a shop. For navigation, Siri could reference real-world landmarks instead of giving generic instructions.

The assistant could tell users to walk past a described building or vehicle before making a turn. Apple already has some visual AI capabilities, including the Visual Intelligence feature for analysing iPhone images.

The pendant is essentially an always-on camera for the smartphone, including a microphone for Siri input. Apple is working to allow users to wear the pendant in two primary ways: with a clip for clothing or a necklace through a hole in the hardware.

The AirPods, planned for release this year, have been in development for some time. Apple has steadily added AI features to the product, including a new live-translation mode introduced last year.

Apple aims to create smart glasses with an augmented reality display, providing users with richer data and visuals. However, a potential launch remains many years away.

---

• Apple is accelerating development of AI-powered smart glasses, AirPods, and a pendant.

• All three devices will feature camera systems, link to iPhones, and use an enhanced Siri.

• Smart glasses are slated for production in December and a public release in 2027.

Source: SCMP