Apple’s plan to challenge the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses is cocky, but it also makes sense

The foldable iPhone Ultra isn’t the only new product that Apple is working on to break into a new category. Outgoing CEO Tim Cook placed strong priority on smart glasses, and Apple has a very confident plan all laid out on how to challenge and even surpass the Meta Ray-Ban offerings.

Smart glasses for the iPhone

Apple insider Mark Gurman, in his newsletter Power On, reveals that the company is still working on smart glasses that can connect to a user’s iPhone. Unlike the recently shelved Apple Vision Pro, there is a lot of optimism inside the company for the smart glasses.

The first pair of Apple smart glasses currently in development might come out next year, barring any unforeseen circumstances. These glasses will not feature a display but will function very similarly to the existing Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2.

They will come with speakers, microphones, and cameras. Powering them will be Siri, which is expected to receive a major overhaul next month. The new Siri will function like Meta AI does on the Ray-Ban glasses.

Apple’s highly confident plan

As of now, Meta rules the smart glasses market. The Ray-Ban Gen 1, Gen 2, and the Ray-Ban Display are highly successful, and the company is readying its true AR smart glasses — Orion — for a consumer release as well.

How does Apple plan to take on Meta and any other competing newcomers in this market? According to Gurman, by being very confident in its brand name.

Just like with what happened with smart watches, Apple is convinced that its name will carry a lot of weight in the smart glasses market. The company will also probably boast about privacy, especially after it was revealed that the Meta Ray-Ban glasses leak private user data to workers abroad.

No luxury entries for now

As with watches, there are certain luxury eyewear manufacturers that offer very expensive pairs of glasses. Apple tried its luck at luxury watches but that didn’t last. According to Gurman, the company will not be trying its hand at luxury glasses.

Apple is designing its glasses in-house, aiming for a very Apple feel. Luxury wearables are bought to last, and you can’t make smart watches or smart glasses last as long because the hardware inside will be obsolete in a few years.

I think it’s a good plan

While Apple’s strategy seems cocky at first, I think it also makes perfect sense. Unlike traditional watches and eyewear, Apple’s name and logo are very recognizable in the world of electronics. Eyewear is a much larger market than watches, and Apple is very serious about its glasses.

The Apple brand name promises user privacy, eye-catching design, and a premium feel. After what Meta pulled, I know I would choose Apple smart glasses over the Ray-Ban any day of the week.



I’m not alone in that regard, either. Meta doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to respecting user privacy.

So bring on the Apple smart glasses, I say! Even if the company’s entry into the market gets more people excited about smart glasses and ultimately diverts more business towards Meta.

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