Apple's Silent Strategy: A Trio of AI Wearables Takes Shape

While competitors announce their plans, Apple is quietly assembling a new class of AI-powered wearables, according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The company is developing three distinct devices—camera-equipped glasses, an AI pin, and advanced AirPods—with releases potentially starting as soon as this year and stretching into 2027.

The initiative appears to hinge on Apple’s partnership with Google, using the Gemini AI model. This collaboration could provide the sophisticated, camera-aware live functions needed to make such devices useful. The first to arrive may be updated AirPods Pro, expected later this year, which are rumored to include infrared cameras for gesture control, even in darkness.

Next, Gurman points to display-free AI glasses, similar in concept to Meta’s Ray-Bans, slated for 2026. They would leverage dual cameras for photos and environmental sensing, packed with microphones and speakers for translation, guidance, and audio. Apple’s retail stores could offer fittings, suggesting a focus on design.

A camera-enabled AI pin is also in development, possibly for a 2027 debut, though its fate is less certain. Described more as an iPhone accessory than a standalone device, it would avoid the pitfalls of products like the Humane AI Pin.

None of these are expected to have screens. Instead, they signal Apple’s methodical approach: testing AI interfaces and hand-tracking on smaller devices before potentially evolving its Vision line into more everyday glasses. With Google also preparing its own wearable push, the stage is set for a new, silent battle on your wrist, lapel, and ears. Apple declined to comment.