2026 is said to be Apple’s year, with the company expected to bring in some fresh innovation, including a serious play in the AI wearables space. According to a latest report by Mark Gurman for Bloomberg, Apple is rapidly developing three new AI-powered wearable devices: smart glasses, a camera-equipped pendant, and upgraded AirPods with built-in cameras. These devices are also said to be powered by a new and upgraded Siri, which could gain smarter capabilities, similar to the AI-powered voice assistants from Gemini and ChatGPT.
If the reports around Apple’s smart wearables indeed turn out to be accurate, this would mark one of Apple’s most aggressive pushes yet into AI-driven hardware beyond the iPhone. Let’s take a quick look at what is expected.
Smart glasses with Siri at the centre
According to Gurman’s report, the most interesting product in development appears to be Apple’s smart glasses. Unlike the high-end Vision Pro headset, which Apple introduced a few years back, these smart glasses are said to be lightweight and designed for everyday use, similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban or Oakley smart glasses. The key idea behind Apple’s smart wearables is said to be combining cameras with AI so the device can “see” what you see and respond intelligently.
Apple’s assistant Siri is expected to sit at the centre of this experience. By adding visual awareness through cameras, Apple could make Siri far more contextual. For instance, the glasses may recognise objects, provide information about your surroundings, or help with navigation, all while keeping the user completely hands-free.
AirPods with cameras? Yes, that’s reportedly happening
Another surprising detail Apple is apparently planning, according to the report, is a new pair of AirPods equipped with cameras. While that may sound unusual at first, the goal appears to be similar, giving AI visual context.
These cameras wouldn’t necessarily be for taking traditional photos like a smartphone. Instead, they could help the AI understand the environment around you. Think gesture controls, spatial awareness, and smarter responses from Siri.
Apple has long dominated the wireless earbuds market, and adding AI-enhanced capabilities could be a way to evolve AirPods beyond just audio. If executed well, this could indeed turn them into a more immersive wearable device rather than just a listening accessory.
A camera pendant may join the mix
The third AI-powered device reportedly in development is a small camera-equipped pendant. Details are still limited, but the concept seems to revolve around discreet, always-available AI assistance. Worn around the neck, the device could reportedly capture visual input and feed it into Apple’s AI systems for real-time help.
Now, in the past few years, with companies heavily pushing AI, Apple has appeared to be slightly lagging behind. Even with Apple Intelligence now in place, competitors like Meta, and AI companies such as OpenAI, have openly discussed AI-powered wearables, while Apple has largely stayed quiet.
With these new developments, however, Apple appears to be finally entering the race more aggressively, and bringing context-aware AI by embedding cameras across devices and tying them closely to Siri.
Do note that there is no official launch timeline yet, and Apple hasn’t confirmed any of these products publicly. But if reports prove accurate, Apple’s next big AI leap may arrive sooner rather than later, possibly even sometime this year, as the company is completing 50 years.
