The news: Apple is scrapping plans for a next-gen Vision Pro in favor of developing its own smart glasses to compete with Ray-Ban Meta and others.

The glasses will “rely heavily” on voice interaction and AI, per Bloomberg—two areas where Apple has been slow to innovate.

The company is reportedly working on at least two types of glasses: one that pairs with an iPhone and has no display, and another with built-in display. Apple is targeting a 2027 launch for the display-free model and aiming for 2028 for the display-equipped design, though the company hopes to speed up that timeline, according to people familiar with the matter.

Trendspotting: Apple pivoting to AI-smart glasses suggests augmented-reality (AR) wearables—versus bulky headsets—are going mainstream. It also signals Apple’s intent to dominate the next wave of personal computing before competitors like Meta become too entrenched in the market to shake.

With iPhone integrations, Apple could create a seamless AR ecosystem that locks in users and raises the bar to entry for rivals.

The bigger picture: Smart glasses’ always-on, context-aware touchpoints for consumers give brands unprecedented opportunities to reach users through notifications, voice interaction, and AR overlays.

Apple can embed marketing, ads, or commerce directly in its hardware and software stack, creating advantages for brands that develop AR-friendly experiences and advertisements early.

Yes, but: Apple’s weak track record with voice assistance and AI raise doubts about its ability to develop a high-quality smart glasses experience on its own. Integrating models from strong players like OpenAI or Anthropic would help.

• Siri updates have been severely delayed, which could erode consumer confidence in the devices’ capabilities.
• Apple Intelligence’s slow and messy rollout doesn’t bode well for its AI prowess and could undermine the appeal of its smart glasses if the software can’t keep up with competitors.

What it means for brands: With Meta already pushing smart glasses, brands that delay adapting risk falling behind in this emerging medium. As input shifts from screen tapping or gestures to voice, marketers need to ensure their brands sound natural in conversational AI environments and that website data is optimized for voice SEO and consistent brand tone.

Apple’s smart glasses could redefine how consumers interact with technology—and how brands reach them—but without major improvements in voice and AI performance, Apple risks ceding the future of AR wearables to its competitors.