Apple AI glasses launch pushed back to late 2027, Vision Air to arrive by 2029: report

Apple is pushing back its AI smart glasses launch to late 2027, according to Bloomberg. The glasses were originally slated for announcement later this year with an early 2026 debut, but that timeline has slipped by about a year.

These glasses are Apple's answer to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. They're designed to be a hardware platform for Siri and Apple's Visual Intelligence features, which let you point your camera at objects to get information about them.

For anyone betting on Apple to make AI wearables mainstream, this is a patience test. Meta has a multi-year head start with Ray-Ban Stories and their successors, which are already on their second generation and selling well.

On the slightly better news front, Apple is reportedly working on a lighter, cheaper Vision Pro variant called Vision Air. That could arrive sometime between 2028 and 2029.

The Vision Air name suggests Apple is taking a page from the MacBook Air playbook: same core experience, more accessible form factor. If the current Vision Pro's weight and price are keeping it niche, a lighter and cheaper version could actually find a real audience.

For AI professionals, the takeaway is simple: if you're waiting for Apple to validate the AI glasses category, you're waiting until at least 2027. Meta, Snap, and others will define what works in the meantime.