It seems like every big tech company is getting its feet into the AI wearables game, and Apple is joining in. According to reliable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, a trio of Apple wearables is in the works, arriving anywhere between later this year and late next year.
The three reported devices are glasses, a pin, and more advanced AirPods. All of these have been reported on previously in various stories, but Gurman's latest update suggests how they'll work in tandem with each other. That's exactly what I was expecting: In fact, I wrote about it a few weeks ago in a story about all the AI and wearable reports that were popping up.
Gemini could be the key piece
Apple's recent deal with Google to have Gemini power its next wave of Apple AI always suggested wearables to me, because Gemini's camera-enabled and live modes are key to Google's upcoming wave of glasses coming later this year.
Apple could be using Gemini to leap ahead in camera and context-aware live AI functions that could make these new wearables work.
Glasses: Display-free for now
The AI glasses in Gurman's report are more like existing display-free Meta Ray-Bans, equipped with cameras, microphones and speakers. According to Gurman, two camera sensors will split photo/video and sensory awareness duties. The designs and frames may be Apple-made, something I expected could be the case based on every one of Apple's other products. Apple also has its retail stores where you could try on these glasses and get them sized.
I'd expect a similar set of features on them to what Meta and Google are already bringing: recording, assistive features like guidance, translation and audio captioning, and audio features that would make them work like glasses-shaped AirPods.
The glasses are expected next year, but if that's the case, I'd expect Apple to give an advance preview of them this year in a similar move to what they did with Vision Pro and the original Apple Watch.
It's always made sense for Apple to make glasses, considering its excellence in camera and audio tech. And as I said before, the pieces for glasses are already distributed in a variety of Apple devices, in a sense.
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