Apple is increasingly focusing its future strategy on AI-powered wearables. Recent statements by CEO Tim Cook subtly hint at a new product category centered around what Apple calls Visual Intelligence – a form of AI capable of analyzing its surroundings and reacting in real-time.
Visual Intelligence was first introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro within the Apple Intelligence platform. The feature already allows users to take a photo or screenshot and then ask questions about its content, leveraging tools like ChatGPT or visual search in Google for product identification.
Beyond the iPhone: A New Wave of AI Wearables
However, Apple is developing its own visual AI models that will be central to future AI hardware, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. This hardware includes new wearable devices, including more advanced AirPods and smart glasses.
The intended applications of Visual Intelligence are largely practical. A wearable device, for example, could analyze a meal and identify its ingredients. Navigation could also become more intelligent, with the device guiding users by naming recognizable landmarks instead of simply providing distances. The technology could provide warnings or reminders when a user approaches a specific object or location.
Apple’s AI Ambitions and the Vision Pro Context
During internal meetings, Cook has emphasized Apple’s strong position in the AI market, largely due to its massive user base of approximately 2.5 billion active devices worldwide. While Apple has primarily integrated existing AI services from partners thus far, it aims to build Visual Intelligence into a core component of its strategy.
This move comes as Apple continues to refine its approach to spatial computing with the Apple Vision Pro. While the Vision Pro targets developers and immersive mixed reality experiences, these new AI wearables are envisioned as everyday devices for communication, information access, and contextual assistance. The Vision Pro, with its M5 chip and focus on blending digital content with the physical world, represents a significant investment in the underlying technologies that will likely power these future wearables.
Three Key Projects: Glasses, AirPods, and a Pendant
Apple is currently working on three distinct AI wearable projects. The most advanced is a pair of lightweight smart glasses, internally codenamed N50, designed to work in conjunction with the iPhone. These glasses are expected to connect wirelessly, with the iPhone handling the bulk of the processing while the frames focus on cameras, microphones, and real-time data capture. Production of the N50 is targeted for late 2026, with a potential launch in 2027.
Alongside the glasses, Apple is developing AirPods with outward-facing infrared cameras. These cameras aren’t intended for traditional photography but for gesture controls, spatial audio enhancements, and improved awareness of the user’s surroundings, including tighter integration with devices like the Vision Pro. The next high-end AirPods Pro variant with cameras could be priced similarly to the current Pro model, maintaining a premium tier while adding AI-first features.
A third project involves an AI pendant that can be clipped to clothing or worn as a necklace. This pendant will be equipped with cameras, sensors, and its own chipset, functioning as an always-on assistant. While details are scarce, this suggests Apple is exploring various form factors for its AI wearables, aiming to integrate AI seamlessly into everyday life.
A Shift Beyond the iPhone
These developments represent a significant shift for Apple, signaling a move beyond its reliance on the iPhone as its primary hardware driver. While the iPhone will remain central to Apple’s ecosystem, these AI wearables demonstrate a commitment to exploring new product categories and leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to create innovative user experiences.
The development of these AI wearables is still in its early stages. It could be months, or even longer, before the first devices are actually presented to the public. However, Apple’s investment in Visual Intelligence and its commitment to developing dedicated AI hardware suggest that AI-powered wearables will play a crucial role in the company’s future.
