Apple Smart Glasses Coming in Four Styles With Premium Acetate Frames

Apple is testing at least four distinct frame designs for its upcoming smart glasses, with the company using acetate rather than standard plastic to give the product a more premium feel. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman first reported the details on April 12, 2026, in his Power On newsletter. An announcement is expected toward the end of 2026 or early 2027, with the actual product hitting shelves sometime in 2027.

The project, internally codenamed N50, represents Apple’s sharpest move yet into the AI wearables space. Unlike its earlier augmented reality ambitions, these glasses carry no display. They are built for everyday use — AI-assisted, camera-equipped, and tightly connected to the iPhone.

Four Frame Designs, Multiple Colors, and a Distinct Camera Layout

The four styles being evaluated span a notable range. One is a large rectangular frame with proportions close to classic Wayfarer sunglasses. A second is slimmer and rectangular, resembling the glasses regularly worn by Apple CEO Tim Cook. The other two take an oval or circular shape, one larger and one more compact. Apple reportedly intends to launch several of these styles simultaneously, with colors including black, ocean blue, and light brown confirmed to be in testing.

Apple is designing the frames entirely in-house rather than partnering with established eyewear brands — a contrast to Meta, which has worked with EssilorLuxottica for its Ray-Ban line, and Google, which is collaborating with Warby Parker. The camera system being considered features vertically oriented oval lenses framed by indicator lights, differing noticeably from the circular lens placement used in Meta’s glasses. This distinct front camera configuration is part of what Apple refers to internally as the “icon” — a silhouette the company wants to be immediately recognizable, much like AirPods or the Apple Watch.

The glasses will carry no display in their initial version. They are designed to handle photo and video capture, music playback, phone call management, notification alerts, and voice-driven AI queries. The AI backbone will be a significantly upgraded Siri arriving alongside iOS 27, using computer vision to read the wearer’s environment and deliver contextual responses through Apple Intelligence.

Apple Enters a Market That Meta Has Already Validated

The timing of Apple’s entry is deliberate. Meta sold over seven million Ray-Ban AI glasses in 2025, and Google is preparing its own Android XR-based smart glasses through partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, likely arriving before Apple’s product. Apple has been here before — entering a category after rivals have laid the groundwork, then redefining what consumers expect from it. That happened with smartphones, and again with wearables.

What Apple has that neither Meta nor Google can easily replicate is an installed base of more than one billion active iPhone users. The glasses are designed to work most naturally within that ecosystem, and that integration is the primary argument Apple is making for the product’s existence.

Production is reportedly being targeted for December 2026, with a public launch planned for spring or summer 2027. The N50 smart glasses are part of a broader AI wearables push that also includes camera-equipped AirPods and a pendant device. Apple’s smart glasses are shaping up as a genuine design-forward answer to Meta’s Ray-Bans, and if Gurman’s reporting holds, 2027 will be the year Apple makes its case for why it should have been making glasses all along.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

What are Apple smart glasses and when will they release?

Apple smart glasses are display-free AI-powered wearables codenamed N50 that work with the iPhone and Siri. They are expected to be announced by late 2026 or early 2027, with actual availability coming in 2027.

What material are Apple smart glasses made from?

Apple is using acetate for the frame material, which is considered more durable and premium than the standard plastic used by most competing smart glasses brands. The company is producing the frames entirely in-house without a third-party eyewear partner.

How many styles will Apple smart glasses come in?

At least four frame styles are in testing: two rectangular options and two oval or circular variants in different sizes. Apple plans to launch multiple styles and color options, similar to how it introduced the Apple Watch with a wide range of choices from launch day.

Will Apple smart glasses have augmented reality features?

No, the first version will not have a display or AR projection. They will rely on cameras, microphones, and Siri for a hands-free AI experience. Apple’s full augmented reality glasses are a separate, longer-term project with no confirmed timeline.

References

Bloomberg. (2026). Apple Is Designing Its Smart Glasses to Look Like Classic Eyewear. April 12, 2026.

TechCrunch. (2026). Apple reportedly testing four designs for upcoming smart glasses. April 12, 2026.