Apple AI Glasses Delayed to Late 2027, Vision Air Coming 2029

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s first smart glasses are now expected to launch in late 2027 at the earliest. This is a delay from previous timelines. Following that, a more advanced headset called Vision Air is set to arrive by 2029.

What Apple Is Building

Apple is working on AI-powered smart glasses. These will feature a built-in camera, microphone, and on-device AI that can respond to questions about your surroundings. They’re like AirPods you can see through, with a camera included.

According to MacRumors, via Gurman’s Bloomberg newsletter, the glasses aim to compete directly with Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration. Those glasses have sold well, pushing Apple to enter the wearables market before it falls behind.

Meanwhile, Vision Air is described as a lighter and more affordable alternative to the Vision Pro, which retails for $3,499. Vision Air will bridge the gap between the smart glasses and the full Vision Pro in terms of both price and functionality.

Why the Delay

Apple is known for taking extra time to perfect new product categories before launch. The original AirPods faced delays, and the Apple Watch didn’t arrive as early as rumored. The Vision Pro also pushed back its debut several times before its early 2024 release.

Smart glasses come with unique engineering challenges. Fitting a camera, battery, processor, and wireless chip into a lightweight frame that users can wear all day isn’t easy. Apple reportedly wants to ensure the AI features work smoothly before launch. They want to avoid frustrating users with slow or inaccurate responses.

Per 9to5Mac’s coverage, the late 2027 launch window aligns with Apple’s usual strategy of releasing products during the holiday season. This suggests the glasses might debut alongside the iPhone 19 or at a separate fall event.

The Competition Isn’t Waiting

Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, created in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, are already on their second generation. They’ve sold well enough for Meta to consider them a real success. These glasses include a camera, open-ear speakers, and an AI assistant that describes what the camera sees.

Google is also reportedly developing Android-based smart glasses, and Samsung has hinted at its own plans for wearable eyewear. By the time Apple launches in late 2027, the market could look quite different from today.

This presents a real challenge for Apple. The company usually thrives by entering markets after competitors have educated consumers, as seen with smartphones, tablets, and wireless earbuds. But entering years after Meta means Apple will need to stand out based on quality, ecosystem integration, or unique features that competitors haven’t tackled yet.

What This Means

If you’re an iPhone user eager for smart glasses, your wait just got longer. Late 2027 is about 18 months away, and Apple rarely launches products ahead of schedule. If you were hoping to skip Meta’s Ray-Bans for an Apple version, you should prepare for a long wait.

For current Vision Pro owners, the Vision Air timeline is more promising. A lighter, cheaper spatial computing device by 2029 could make this technology accessible to many more users. The Vision Pro’s $3,499 price tag kept it within a niche market, so a more affordable option could change that.

This delay also impacts Apple’s stock. AAPL was down 1.84% at the time of this report. Investor confidence in Apple’s AI hardware strategy partly hinges on the company launching new categories on time. Delaying the glasses suggests the product isn’t ready, raising doubts about whether the 2027 date will stick.

Community Reactions

“Meta has had two generations of smart glasses out while Apple is still in development. By 2027 Meta will be on gen 4 or 5. Apple needs to come out swinging or this launch won’t matter.”

“Honestly I’d rather wait and get something that actually works well than have Apple rush it out. The Vision Pro had enough issues at launch.”

What To Watch

• WWDC 2026 (June 2026): Apple’s developer conference could reveal software announcements related to smart glasses, even if no hardware is ready yet. Keep an eye out for new APIs (application programming interfaces) that hint at glasses features.
• Meta Connect (Fall 2026): Meta’s annual hardware event is likely to showcase the next generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses, offering a clearer view of Apple’s competition in 2027.
• Mark Gurman’s Bloomberg newsletter: Gurman has a strong track record on Apple hardware timelines. Any changes to the late 2027 date—earlier or later—will likely come from him first.
• Vision Air pricing rumors: No price has been released yet. When that information leaks, it will reveal a lot about how broadly Apple plans to compete in spatial computing by 2029.