Apple smart glasses still a distant possibility as Apple considers its wearables future

Apple is still working out how it can press forward with wearable devices, with it considering a possible switch away from bulky Apple Vision Pro headset instead creating the fabled Apple Glass by 2030.

The wearable device ambitions of Apple are somewhat troubled, with the Apple Vision Pro considered a commercial flop in its first release. While it has other ways it can progress forward on the concept, it's still taking time to work out the best way forward.

In Sunday's Bloomberg newsletter, Mark Gurman writes that Apple is at least looking into different form factors. After axing its project to create AR glasses as an external Mac display earlier in 2025, Apple is now thinking about standalone AR glasses once again.

The report predicts that it could be three to five years before Apple manages to create a commercial version.

Apple is also thought to be coming up with its own variation of the Meta Ray-Ban glasses. As a device, it won't have AR capabilities, but could still offer other elements including cameras, microphones, audio, and AI.

There is also the ongoing project to incorporate cameras into AirPods, which can help bolster its AI efforts.

Massive hurdles to overcome

To create any sort of smart glasses like Apple Glass, Apple has to work around multiple issues with design. That includes somehow making the glasses lightweight enough to not be bulky or heavy, while still retaining additional functionality.

For something that could contain a battery to power all the extra hardware, this can be a challenge, even without a display.

It has multiple offices working on the concept, including studying the appeal of various features that could be incorporated. Internal testing has also been occurring for years, though in very hushed secrecy, even for Apple.

Back in 2017, an Apple Environment Health and Safety contractor report revealed someone needed "medical treatment beyond first aid" after testing a prototype. It was a very rare revelation that eyewear was being worked on within Apple's offices.

While the project to create a lightweight pair of smart spectacles is a challenge that's years in the making, it at least has the best champion within Apple.

At one time, CEO Tim Cook believed that creating AR glasses was the way forward instead of VR glasses. An approach of superimposing images on a real-world view was better in a non-isolating way compared to a headset like Apple Vision Pro.

Billions of research dollars later, Apple is still working on the problem. It's just something that could take years before a commercialized solution becomes available to purchase.