[Yonhap News Agency] 사진 확대 [Yonhap News Agency]

Apple Inc. is reportedly preparing new AI smart glasses and a new Apple Watch at the same time, as it targets the next-generation wearable market. While rival Samsung Electronics is moving quickly with a goal of launching AI smart glasses within this year, Apple is expected to unveil its first product only next year.

On the 26th local time, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that Apple is pushing ahead with plans to unveil its first AI smart glasses at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2027 and launch them commercially later that year.

The strategy is similar to the one Apple used for the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality (MR) headset in 2023, when it first introduced the hardware, then built a developer ecosystem before the official release. The move appears to reflect Apple’s view that developers must prepare software in advance if smart glasses are to evolve beyond standalone functions and become an AI platform that links with external app data through the revamped Siri.

The delay from the original launch schedule is tied to Apple’s strict privacy standards. The company had initially considered a late-2026 release, but it is taking a cautious approach to avoid privacy concerns related to built-in cameras.

As camera-related issues have drawn criticism for rival products from Meta Platforms and others, Apple is testing a range of privacy protections at the prototype stage. These include removing the camera entirely, using only a camera for object detection without recording, and adopting on-device AI data processing.

The first smart glasses are likely to come without a display. Instead of a separate screen, they would use a camera, microphone and speakers to support photo capture, music playback, phone calls, Siri activation and object recognition. Apple also plans to differentiate the product with its own fashion-oriented design.

Two Galaxy Glass models. [Samsung Electronics] 사진 확대 Two Galaxy Glass models. [Samsung Electronics]

By contrast, Samsung Electronics is teaming up with Google to launch its AI smart glasses, tentatively called Galaxy Glass, based on Android XR this fall, moving far faster than Apple to secure an early lead in the market. Through design collaborations with global eyewear brands such as Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, Samsung has created a lightweight, fashion-forward frame weighing about 50 grams. The glasses will offer real-time voice translation, navigation, text translation in the user’s field of view, and photo and video capture powered by Google Gemini, while integrating closely with the Samsung Galaxy smartphone ecosystem.

Apple is also working on a redesign of its flagship wearable lineup, the Apple Watch. Final testing is under way for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and the focus is said to be on performance improvements through a new chip and better health and fitness tracking rather than major design changes.

Industry watchers are paying close attention to whether Apple can fully resolve camera and privacy concerns and establish smart glasses as a new AI platform. If the smart glasses are unveiled at next year’s WWDC and the new Apple Watch models reach the market in sequence, Apple’s next-generation hardware ecosystem strategy is likely to become much clearer.

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.