Development of Apple's first smart glasses is believed to be intensifying, causing the development of a lighter version of Apple Vision to be delayed. Today, Mark Gurman reported via Bloomberg that "Apple Glass" will use two different operating systems depending on which device it is tethered to.
This second-generation Apple Glass is expected to arrive in 2027 and will have a screen built directly into the lens. When tethered to a macOS computer, Apple Glass will use visionOS for a more comprehensive experience. Meanwhile, when tethered to an iPhone, a lighter operating system will be used. It is still unknown what this second operating system is and how it differs from visionOS.
At the same time, Apple is said to be testing a wired connection because it reduces latency. But Apple is concerned that launching a product with a cable will make it less attractive because competing devices such as the Ray-Ban Meta Display do not have any cables.
2026 will be an interesting year in the world of smart glasses as more manufacturers will offer their products. Meta's dominance in this arena will begin to be challenged, especially by Samsung and Google through their Android XR smart glasses.
