Quiet signals from Apple’s leadership are pointing toward a fresh direction in artificial intelligence, with the company preparing to move AI beyond screens and into everyday wearables. Reports suggest Apple is developing new AI-based devices that could introduce an entirely new product category.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is said to be pushing for AI wearables, including a possible pin or pendant designed to work with the company’s Visual Intelligence system. This system uses AI to answer questions based on what a camera sees in a photo. Alongside reports of AirPods with built-in cameras, the effort suggests Apple is laying the groundwork for a new line of AI-driven products.
In a recent newsletter, Mark Gurman highlighted Cook’s comments around AI wearables and their link to Visual Intelligence. Cook described Visual Intelligence as one of the most popular features of Apple Intelligence and said Apple has a “huge advantage” in AI because of its install base of 2.5 billion devices. At present, Visual Intelligence relies on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but Apple is developing its own visual AI models to strengthen this capability.
The first product expected in this new category is a redesigned pair of AirPods with cameras. These would allow Apple Intelligence to see the surrounding environment, offering functionality similar to smart glasses but without a traditional frame. Reports also suggest Apple Glass could launch in late 2026, featuring both camera and audio capabilities, similar in concept to Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses.
A second device under consideration is an AI pin or pendant that could be attached to clothing. This wearable would also include a camera to feed visual data into Apple Intelligence. The device is expected to focus on simple, everyday tasks rather than complex computing.
Possible uses for these AI wearables include identifying ingredients on a plate of food or offering intuitive navigation based on nearby landmarks. Together, these products point to Apple’s ambition to make AI more natural and context-aware by embedding it into devices people can wear throughout the day.
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