
Do you want to wear an AI gadget around your neck, in front of your eyes, or in your ears?
Apple thinks the answer will depend on who you are. The iPhone maker is spreading its bets by developing a trio of AI wearable gadgets,
according to a new report by Bloomberg.
Apple's efforts developing glasses that compete with Meta's Ray-Ban smartglasses are already well known, though Bloomberg provides some new details. The glasses will feature two cameras, one for users to capture high quality photos and the other to serve as the AI's "eyes," helping it see the world around it. Apple also intends to create its own frames, rather than partnering with an established eyewear company, with plans to begin production in December and launch in early 2027.
The necklace, or "pendant," is a different beast entirely. It's more of an electronic bobble that would connect to the user's iPhone and serve as the "eyes and ears" for the phone's AI. The pendant, which would clip onto a user's clothing or be worn as a necklace, sounds very similar to the ill-fated Humane Pin that was launched by a pair of Apple alumni a few years ago. But Apple, being Apple, may believe it has that special je-ne-sais-quoi to make it work. Look for the pendant, if it makes it out of the lab, to be released in 2027, Bloomberg said.
Option number three is simply Apple AirPods, enhanced with cameras. As with the pendant, these cameras would primarily feed data to the AI system. One advantage that the earbuds may have over the Apple pendant and the glasses is that users are already accustomed to wearing AirPods. Of course, the biggest challenge for Apple may be that all three of these devices will need a capable new version of Siri to act as the AI "brain" inside the product. And as Fortune Tech readers are well aware, that is not a given.—
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