Index
Mark Gurman pulled the thread again. In his April 12 Power On, the Bloomberg journalist confirmed that Apple has four smart glasses designs in testing, all made of acetate, with a timeline targeting late 2026 or early 2027 for the announcement and public sales in 2027. A week later, Apple confirmed that Tim Cook will step down as chief executive on September 1, 2026, and that John Ternus —head of hardware engineering— will take over as CEO. The two announcements are not a coincidence. Apple is late to a category that Meta has already normalized, and it needs a product under the new CEO that does not feel defensive.
What Apple Glasses are (and what they definitely are not)
First things first: they are not Vision Pro. They are not AR either. They have no display and do not project anything onto the lenses. They are regular glasses with cameras, microphones, open-ear speakers, and sensors, designed to work as an iPhone accessory. All the intelligence lives on the phone; the glasses are the sensor.
The commercial name has not been confirmed yet. The press calls them "Apple Glasses" or "Apple smart glasses"; the internet still carries "Apple Glass" from Jon Prosser’s 2020 leaks, but Apple never registered it. The internal codename is N50, renamed N401 according to Ming-Chi Kuo.
Apple is still working on AR glasses with an integrated display, but that second generation would only enter production in 2028. The first batch is deliberately simpler. It is the opposite bet to Vision Pro: instead of a USD 3500 standalone device that replaces a monitor, a lightweight accessory that sits on top of the iPhone you already own.
Four styles and the acetate bet
Gurman describes four frames in testing. Two rectangular ones —a large Wayfarer-style frame and a slim metallic one similar to what Tim Cook wears in public— and two oval designs, one large and one small. Apple is considering launching several at the same time instead of betting on a single model. The colors under evaluation: black, ocean blue, and light brown.
Apple Glasses
Anteojos inteligentes de primera generación de Apple, próximos a lanzarse en 2027. Codename interno N50/N401. Sin display y sin AR, diseñados como accesorio del iPhone con cámaras, audio open-ear y Siri Visual Intelligence. Cuatro estilos en testing y construcción en acetato in-house.
Material del armazónAcetato in-house
EstilosCuatro en testing: Wayfarer grande, slim metálico, oval grande, oval chico (rumoreado)
ColoresNegro, azul océano, marrón claro (en evaluación)
PantallaSin display ni AR
CámarasLentes ovaladas verticales con LED indicador perimetral (rumoreado)
Peso120–130 g (estimación de Ming-Chi Kuo)
ProcesadorCustom N401 basado en Apple Watch S-series (rumoreado)
ConectividadPareja con iPhone vía Bluetooth (rumoreado)
Pros
- Acetato in-house en lugar de partnership con un tercero.
- Cuatro estilos distintos para cubrir múltiples perfiles desde el lanzamiento.
- Integración nativa con iPhone, Siri y Apple Intelligence.
- LED indicador en las cámaras como respuesta a las críticas de privacidad de Meta.
Cons
- Sin display ni AR en la primera generación.
- Peso estimado entre 120 y 130 g, casi el doble que el Meta Ray-Ban Display.
- Llega un año y medio después del Meta Ray-Ban Display.
- Depende de que Apple Intelligence finalmente funcione para 2027.
Editorial Disclosure
Information based on official specs. The author has not had physical access to the product for this report.
