Through the looking glass: Apple is facing a dilemma: how can a company that has long prided itself on respecting users' privacy release a product notorious for spying on people – smart glasses? It's something that Cupertino is worried about, which is why its take on the device is reportedly being delayed until late 2027.
Reports that Apple is developing smart glasses go back years now. It was recently revealed that the product, codenamed N50, was set to be introduced this year ahead of its rollout in early 2027.
However, Apple sage mark Gurman writes that the company is postponing the release until late next year while it tries to address the issue of the inherent privacy violations associated with smart glasses.
Gurman says that Apple's solution is to work on several new hardware and software-related privacy features that aren't available on current products.
One of the software changes will almost certainly be something that Meta has recently introduced to its smart glasses. The company announced earlier this month that should anyone tamper with its glasses' LED light, so it doesn't activate when the user is recording video or taking photos, the onboard camera will be remotely disabled.
Something else that Meta has suggested it will do is release a pair of smart glasses with no onboard camera. Apple could do the same thing, and has also considered including the full camera system but not allowing it to record photos or video at all, according to Gurman, which sounds bizarre.
Some other privacy-focused features that Apple is looking at include processing the smart glasses' data on the device itself and not in the cloud. The company is also expected not to send any captured footage to moderators for human review, and it won't use images from the glasses for AI training. It's also unlikely that there'll be an always-on recording mode, which is something that Meta is reportedly working on.
There's been plenty of controversy surrounding smart glasses going all the way back to Google Glass. March brought news that data labelers were reviewing intimate recordings captured by Meta's glasses. There was also a story in May about a Meta contractor who fired 1,100 AI trainers after they revealed Ray-Ban glasses recorded private and intimate footage.
We've also seen a lot of anger from the public over smart glasses recording and photographing them without consent. New York recently became the first state to ban the devices in courtrooms. The move is to prevent people from covertly recording court proceedings – an activity that is in violation of both state law and local court regulations.
Apple's smart glasses are delayed as company wrestles with privacy concerns
