Apple’s upcoming AI smart glasses face a consumer privacy challenge as the company targets a WWDC reveal in June 2027 and a late 2027 release. Engineering and marketing teams within Apple’s Vision hardware group are working to distance the device from Meta’s controversial camera-equipped eyewear, prototyping new privacy features and even considering camera-free options.
In terms of their reputations for protecting privacy, among tech behemoths like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and most of all Meta, Apple is the clear winner, at least in terms of public perception. It’s fought hard, and for a long time, to be seen that way. But as the company prepares to enter the smart glasses market—a category currently referred to online as pervert glasses
—that hard-earned reputation is facing its toughest test yet.
The company’s long-rumored smart glasses, internally codenamed “N50,” were apparently on track for an introduction this year, and a rollout in early 2027, but the glasses are now going to be released in late 2027 because Apple is still crafting its privacy message.
Part of the delay reportedly stems from Apple’s engineering and marketing teams spending more time refining the product and deciding how to address the privacy concerns that come with putting cameras on someone’s face.
WWDC27 Reveal and Late-Year Release Timeline
Apple is currently aiming
to reveal the new glasses to the public at next year’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2027, followed by a consumer release toward the end of the year. The timing of this reveal could be an indication of what’s to come for Apple’s AI glasses. It seems unlikely that Apple would launch a new device at WWDC without also releasing some sort of way for developers to create software for the device. So, the glasses may be able to incorporate data and actions from third-party apps, just like the new Siri AI, rather than being limited to Apple’s first-party features.
If this pans out, it will be very similar to the Apple Vision Pro launch in 2023: the hardware and software were previewed months in advance so that developers could work on creating apps for the platform, and the final hardware was released later. The summer launch is intended to give developers an opportunity to start building apps before the public gets a chance to buy the hardware.
Learning From Meta’s Privacy Missteps
Meta isn’t the first company to enter the smart glasses segment, but it has launched the first commercially successful smart glasses on the market. However, Meta’s smart glasses have gained a poor reputation for privacy. These products are equipped with small cameras that allow users to record their surroundings, and most of the time, other people can’t even notice it. Of course, Meta has included some protective measures in its glasses, including a light to indicate when they are taking pictures or recording videos and the option to automatically turn off recording if the light appears to have been tampered with. Although, these measures might not be enough to gain the public’s trust.
Meta’s glasses’ reputation regarding privacy has reportedly caused Apple to delay the launch of its smart glasses and spend more time fine-tuning its approach.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is grappling with how to address major privacy concerns when it comes to smart glasses. Gurman reported that the teams developing glasses within Apple’s Vision hardware group and elsewhere in the company see privacy as priority No. 1.
To tackle these concerns, Gurman reported that Apple is working on several new hardware and software-related privacy features not available on current products.
On the software side, Apple will likely adopt some privacy protections, like the ones seen with Meta, where it will disable recording if it suspects that the light has been tampered with.
Prototyping Software Solutions and Camera-Free Alternatives
Apple’s marketing and engineering teams have decided to spend more time refining privacy messages and features. While Apple will most certainly ensure that the glasses have stringent guardrails against unsolicited use, the privacy challenges raised in the wake of Meta’s smart glasses could become a hurdle for the Cupertino-based company.
In the latest edition of Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman discusses the implications of Apple’s upcoming smart glasses. He explains how Apple will have to work harder to address the distrust and apprehensions that Meta’s smart glasses have created. Apple’s Vision hardware group has consistently insisted that privacy remains its top priority, but there is no question that the new device will have to contend with the perception users have developed around smart glasses.
Worth a look