Apple Wants Its Smart Glasses to Be the Next Apple Watch

Apple is setting its sights on the massive traditional eyewear market, believing its upcoming smart glasses could reshape the industry much like the Apple Watch transformed the watch market a decade ago.



When Apple launched its wearable in 2015, the smartwatch category was still a relatively small niche. Rather than just competing with early tech rivals like Pebble, Apple ultimately found itself competing with traditional watchmakers in the sub-$1,000 market. That shift severely impacted the revenue of brands like Swatch and Fossil, while higher-end luxury watchmakers largely survived unharmed.


According to journalist Mark Gurman, Apple sees a nearly identical opportunity taking shape with its upcoming smart glasses. The company is not just looking to challenge Meta for dominance in the nascent connected eyewear space. Instead, Apple wants to compete directly with traditional prescription and fashion glasses priced between $200 and $500, taking on major incumbents like Warby Parker and Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica.

The addressable market is enormous. The World Health Organization estimates that 2.2 billion people globally have some form of vision impairment, and hundreds of millions of glasses are sold every year. Apple believes its strong brand recognition, massive retail footprint, and deep integration with the iPhone will convince regular eyewear buyers to choose a connected pair instead.

We already know the company is testing premium acetate frames for the hardware. Gurman adds that the first generation of the glasses will feature oval-shaped cameras and will be offered in unique colors across multiple frame styles. Gurman reports that Apple ultimately envisions the glasses evolving into a health-focused device and eventually incorporating augmented reality features.

Getting the product to market is proving to be a challenge. The glasses have reportedly slipped from an earlier target of late 2026 and are now expected to launch toward the end of 2027. The project has strong support from the highest levels of the company, with the Vision Products Group operating under John Ternus' leadership for the past two years and Tim Cook reportedly treating the initiative as a top priority.


The delay does give Meta more time to solidify its lead, especially among Android users. Meta already has a major retail partnership with LensCrafters and has successfully established a foothold in the market. However, Apple believes its combination of hardware design, iPhone integration, and AI-powered features will help it compete effectively once the product is ready to ship.