Apple is preparing to launch at least six products in entirely new categories under incoming chief executive John Ternus, with AI-powered smart glasses expected as soon as this autumn and lightweight augmented reality glasses targeted for between 2028 and 2030, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported.
The near-term product is a pair of camera-equipped smart glasses that will function as an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone computing device, relying on audio, Siri and computer vision to interpret the wearer's surroundings rather than projecting digital imagery onto a built-in display.
Apple is testing four frame designs made from acetate and titanium in styles ranging from large rectangular to slim oval, with colour options including black, ocean blue and light brown.
"The plan for some time has been to introduce the smart glasses in the September or October timeframe of this year, and then roll them out early in 2027," Gurman said in a recent interview.
The glasses are part of a broader AI wearables push that also includes AirPods with built-in cameras and a wearable pendant designed to provide contextual data to Apple Intelligence.
The longer-term ambition remains a pair of lightweight AR glasses capable of overlaying digital information onto real-world views in a form factor that Apple believes could ultimately replace the iPhone.
The company is targeting a launch window of 2028 to 2030 for that device, though the timeline remains fluid and depends in part on progress in display miniaturisation and battery technology.
Success with the simpler smart glasses this year may influence Apple's confidence in accelerating the full AR roadmap.
Separately, Gurman provided an update on the foldable iPad, a roughly 20-inch device that has been described as a Ternus priority but which several people who have worked on the project told Bloomberg may end up being "a wacky experiment that doesn't see the light of day."
The product was reportedly moved from a late 2026 launch window to as late as 2028, and its future is uncertain.
However, if the foldable iPhone Ultra, which remains on track for a September debut, proves a commercial success, Apple could accelerate iPad Fold development.
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The foldable iPhone would be the company's first device with a folding display and is expected to compete directly with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line.
The product roadmap reflects a decisive shift under Ternus, who formally succeeds Tim Cook as chief executive later this year, away from the spatial computing ambitions that defined the Vision Pro era and towards lighter, more accessible AI-powered wearables designed for everyday use.
The recap
- Mark Gurman reports updates on Apple AR glasses and iPad Fold
- AR glasses target a 2028-2030 launch window, per Gurman
- Foldable iPad uncertain; project described as 'a Ternus priority'
