Apple smart glasses set to arrive in 2027 as company plans to disrupt $200 billion eyewear market: Report

Apple is preparing to launch its long-rumoured smart glasses by the end of next year, with the company hoping that its newest product category can follow the same playbook that it used for the Apple Watch years ago, according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The Cupertino-based tech giant initially planned to release its smart glasses, codenamed N50, at the end of 2026, but there have been delays to the project and the new report indicates that they could ship by early 2027.

Apple wants to repeat the Apple Watch strategy

Reportedly, Apple sees a similar opportunity in the eyewear segment to the one it once saw in the watch category when it launched the first Apple Watch in 2015. At the time, smartwatches were still a niche category dominated by brands such as Samsung, Motorola, LG, and Pebble.

However, Apple's foray into the category was not just aimed at taking over the smartwatch market. It also wanted to take on the entire wristwatch industry by convincing customers to replace their traditional watches with a new accessory that paired with their iPhone, tracked their health metrics, and still told the time like a normal watch.

The Apple Watch strategy paid off for the company, and it later went on to become the world's largest watchmaker by unit volume. Meanwhile, revenues for many traditional watch companies like Swatch and Fossil dropped significantly between 2014 and 2025.

The tech giant now wants to follow a similar playbook as it looks to take on the broader eyewear market, not just the smart glasses segment, which is currently dominated by Meta.

Apple's smart glasses plan

Gurman notes that the eyewear market represents an even larger opportunity for Apple, with the global eyewear industry estimated to be worth around $200 billion annually. The World Health Organization estimates that around 2.2 billion people worldwide have some form of vision impairment, while hundreds of millions of pairs of glasses are sold every year.

This means the new category could potentially become as large as Apple's smartphone business, with billions of potential customer opportunities if the company plays its cards right.

Reportedly, Apple believes that it has several key advantages that could help it succeed in the eyewear category. The tech giant could use its strong brand recognition, industrial design expertise, and tight integration with the iPhone to persuade consumers shopping for regular prescription glasses or sunglasses to choose Apple-branded eyewear instead.

Apple's existing ecosystem, extensive retail presence, and future AI-powered features that can help users better interact with the world around them are also expected to play a key role in the company's strategy.

Reportedly, Apple plans to price its upcoming smart glasses between $200 and $500 (roughly ₹19,000 to ₹47,000), pitting them directly against the likes of Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Safilo, and Warby Parker. The approach mirrors Apple's strategy with the Apple Watch, where it focused on the mass-market watch segment instead of ultra-luxury timepieces.

The first smart glasses from the company could feature oval-shaped cameras, unique colours, and multiple frame options in order to win over customers. The company is also planning to evolve the glasses into a health device that could eventually use augmented reality to improve how people see.