Apple's AI smart glasses and Vision headset plans reportedly delayed, again

Apple’s AI smart glasses have reportedly been pushed back again. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the device, code-named "N50," was originally aiming for a late 2026 reveal and an early 2027 release. However, that timeline has now shifted, with the launch expected towards the end of 2027 instead. Not a massive leap on paper, but in Apple terms, it's a meaningful pause.

Talking about the delay, Gurman states:

There have been some bumps on the road to Apple becoming an eyewear giant. It had initially planned to introduce its smart glasses, code-named N50, at the end of 2026 and ship them by early 2027. But as is often the case with major new Apple products, there have been delays. The company is now working toward launching the glasses at the end of next year, I’m told.

These glasses are intended to serve more as Apple’s first serious step into AI wearables, something designed to sit in the same conversation as Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, but tightly woven into Apple Intelligence and acting as a dedicated hardware platform for Siri and visual AI capabilities.

According to the report, the key factor behind the delay is believed to be the tech giant’s dissatisfaction with its visual AI technology. While Siri improvements are still reportedly on track for rollout before the end of this year, Apple is said to be cautious about launching hardware that relies on underdeveloped visual intelligence systems.

On the design side, early prototypes are expected to include distinctive design choices, such as oval camera modules, multiple frame styles, and a range of colour options, something that feels closer to fashion than gadget. Over time, Apple is said to be aiming to expand the device’s role beyond basic AI assistance, potentially evolving it into a health-focused wearable and eventually a bridge towards true augmented reality glasses.

And while the launch of the glasses may have been delayed, there’s still talk of a lighter, more affordable “Vision Air”, successor to Vision Pro that launched in June 2023. But that too is now pushed further out, with reports pointing to a window between late 2028 and 2029.