Apple is set to delay its smart glasses launch until WWDC 2027, according to a new report.
A Mark Gurman report explains how Apple is concerned about privacy and is now considering its options as Meta deals with intense backlash over its wearable technology. Meta is the dominant player in the smart glasses category, but a growing resentment in the community is apparently making Apple cautious about its rollout.
There’s no doubt Meta’s AI Glasses are valuable devices. I love them, but I also use them sensibly. Many people do not, and that’s a problem. The community values its privacy, and that’s led to a public backlash against smart glasses with cameras. A recent story about cheap camera glasses being sold at Target caused an uproar online.
In many schools, celebrity meetup events, courthouses, and many other places, Meta glasses or any other smart glasses with cameras are banned. Although Meta has a recording indicator light, it can be missed or, in some cases, deliberately disabled or covered up. Meta, to its credit, has started to combat this by disabling the camera if the indicator light is interfered with. Meta also advises on its website how to conduct yourself with its glasses.
Meta glasses also serve a great need in the community. People with low vision or who are blind can more easily navigate the world because the glasses can identify colours, text, and other important information thanks to the AI camera technology in the frame.
Google and Samsung have AI glasses coming soon, and just like Meta, they will have to deal with rogue users capturing video and images when appropriate.
So that brings us back to Apple. The tech giant has a strong reputation for privacy, so it’s no wonder the company is concerned about smart glasses with cameras. It’s believed Apple created several prototypes, including models that had no camera or had cameras but you were not allowed to save the imagery. The cameras only served as a ‘sensor’ for AI applications.
The way forward isn’t exactly clear for smart glasses with cameras and microphones. We need to make it more obvious that it’s a recording device. This may impact the fashion element of eyewear, but if it keeps the technology alive and thriving, then so be it. I don’t want to see another Google Glass story. Let’s crack down on the creeps, but let’s keep the tech with clear boundaries and etiquette.
So if Apple does delay its release, I would say it’s a wise move to tread warily.
