WITH smartphones reaching their limits, Apple, Google and Samsung Electronics are racing to stake out the next high-stakes frontier: AI-powered smart glasses set to debut as early as next year.

Apple is reportedly developing a lightweight wearable device, tentatively dubbed Apple Glass, which could debut as early as next year and launch as soon as 2027. Unlike the premium Vision Pro headset, this new device will reportedly omit displays and augmented reality features, instead prioritising a slim form factor and AI-driven functionalities optimised for daily use.

The standout feature is expected to be visual intelligence, a real-time image and video processing system powered by multiple onboard cameras and advanced AI. Health-monitoring capabilities are also being explored, though an Apple Korea official declined to comment.

Google, meanwhile, confirmed last week that it will reenter the smart glasses market next year, more than a decade after its ill-fated Google Glass. The company is teaming up with Samsung and eyewear brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for the new product.

This time, the search giant plans to embed its Gemini generative AI model into the glasses to enable seamless voice interaction. The first model will be audio-based, featuring no display but offering voice-controlled services such as real-time scheduling, restaurant recommendations and instant translation.

A more advanced version with transparent lenses is also in the pipeline. This display-type model will function as a head-up display, projecting navigation cues, captions, and contextual data directly onto the lenses.

The global smart glasses market is currently dominated by Meta, which captured over 60pc of the market last year through its partnership with Ray-Ban.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025