Apple Glasses, smart ring, and AirPods with cameras are three products that Apple actually considered releasing – and, eventually, they could see the light of day. According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter, Cupertino has discussed and idealized these products. Here’s what we know.
Apple’s smart glasses: The journalist says Apple could tackle Meta and Amazon by releasing smart glasses, which could take advantage of cameras and AI to identify things in the real world. In addition, this could be yet another step for Apple’s future AR glasses.
Still, this kind of Apple Glasses is nowhere near release, as it’s just an idea, and people at the company are still pitching this device.
Apple Ring: With Samsung about to release its Galaxy Ring, an industry source quoted by ET News said Apple was also readying its own Oura-lie competitor. The report mentioned that the company was “steadily applying for patents,” with “advanced development for commercialization” imminent. Now, Gurman says otherwise, and this ring, like the Apple Glasses, is just an idea.
AirPods with a camera: Lastly, Gurman says Apple is already in the early stages of developing AirPods with a camera. According to the journalist, this device codenamed B798, started development last year. The company wants to fit “low-resolution camera sensors into earbuds about the size of today’s AirPods. Such cameras could theoretically be used to capture data that would be processed via AI and assist people in their daily routines.”
Previously, Gurman said Apple is readying a few health-related features for an upcoming AirPods Pro 3. While this device is planned for a 2025 release, it’s interesting that a low-resolution camera for the wireless earbuds could be in the works for this reason.
Apple Glasses, smart ring, or AirPods with camera: Which one could actually launch?
Since AirPods with a camera left the concept world and are now being treated as a prototype, this product could likely see the light of day sooner. I also think a smart ring could potentially launch in the future. It’s more discrete than a smartwatch, and it might be a complement for health measurement. Also, I don’t think it would replace the Apple Watch; it would improve its usage.
Lastly, the Apple Glasses could be doable, but I’m not sure Apple would be willing to partner with a sunglasses maker to apply its technology to glasses. Meta seems on the right path now, but I’d say Apple is focusing on a better product to release in a few years.