Apple's Smart Glasses to Enter a Rapidly Growing Market
Apple is preparing to launch its first smart glasses in late 2027, targeting a market where display-less AI eyewear shipments have surged by 263% year-over-year. The device is expected to focus on audio, cameras, and Siri integration without an augmented reality display, aligning with the dominant trend in the current market. Meta currently holds a 94% share of this sector, but analysts anticipate that investment from major tech firms will drive the category toward more context-aware AI capabilities.
- ▪Worldwide shipments of AI glasses increased by 263% year-over-year in the first half of 2026, with display-less products accounting for 96% of the total.
- ▪Apple is targeting a late 2027 release for its initial smart glasses, which will omit an AR display and focus on audio, cameras, and Siri.
- ▪Meta holds approximately 94% of the total AI glasses market share, supported by products like Ray-Ban Meta that offer photography and AI features without screens.
- ▪Display-equipped AI glasses represent only 4% of the market, although their shipments grew by 449% year-over-year.
- ▪Apple's more advanced augmented-reality glasses are not expected to arrive until 2029 at the earliest.
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| Publication time | Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:54:20 +0000 |
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Apple's Smart Glasses to Enter a Rapidly Growing MarketTuesday September 22, 2026 8:54 am PDT by Hartley CharltonApple's first smart glasses could arrive in a rapidly expanding market, with worldwide AI glasses shipments increasing 263% year-over-year during the first half of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. The figures are particularly relevant for Apple because display-less products accounted for 96% of shipments. Apple's initial smart glasses are likewise rumored to omit an augmented reality display, focusing instead on audio, cameras, Siri, and connectivity with the iPhone and Apple's wider ecosystem. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the company is targeting a late 2027 release for the device. Apple could introduce the glasses at WWDC 2027 with an emphasis on privacy.
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