It's Not Just Meta That Thinks AI Can Jumpstart Smart Glasses. Apple's In Too.

Core Insights - Apple is accelerating its focus on developing smart glasses to compete with Meta's Ray-Ban Display, which is priced at $800 and features a screen in the right lens [1][2][6] - The smart glasses market is currently small, with fewer than 3 million units sold annually, and is not expected to reach 20 million until 2029, but Apple anticipates that AI advancements could energize this market [3][4] - Analysts from Oppenheimer believe that Apple's hardware ecosystem is secure from new AI-enabled smart glasses for the next 2-3 years, indicating a favorable timeline for Apple [4][6] Company Developments - Apple has paused work on its latest headset to allocate resources towards the development of smart glasses [1][6] - The company envisions producing glasses by 2027 that will include their own display, speakers, cameras, voice control, AI features, and potentially health-tracking tools [3][4] Competitive Landscape - Competitors such as Samsung and Amazon are also expected to enter the smart glasses market, indicating a growing interest in this technology [2] - Meta's Ray-Ban Display has been criticized for causing eye strain and is not yet suitable for everyday use, which may provide Apple with an opportunity to capture market share [6][7]