Here's when Apple's AR glasses might be ready for launch – it's sooner than you think
Now, it looks like Apple might be finally ready to make this device a reality. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is aiming for a release by the end of 2026.
The glasses are shaping up to be one of the most powerful offerings available. They're expected to come with built-in speakers, microphones and cameras, and powered by an Apple-designed chip. We're talking about a device that lets you take calls, listen to music, get directions and even use Siri without pulling out your phone. There's mention of live translation features too, though how well any of this will work is still very much up in the air. Especially given Siri's… reputation.
But apparently this isn't Apple's big AR vision just yet. Gurman notes that proper augmented reality glasses are still 'years away.' Instead, this sounds more like Apple's answer to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses – albeit with better build quality, according to sources at Apple. Considering Meta has already sold over a million pairs and Google is now working with Xreal and others on a rival Android XR platform, this could prove to be a challenge.
But there's one big question hanging over Apple's effort: AI. Or rather, Apple's shaky track record with it. There are said to be internal concerns that the company's ongoing struggles with AI could hold this product back. Meta and Google are already pairing their wearables with their advanced AI systems, like Llama and Gemini. Whereas right now, Apple leans on third parties – Google Lens and OpenAI – for its iPhone-based Visual Intelligence features.
That might be fine for now, but a future product like this will need something more native, more integrated. There's a lot riding on the AI chops Apple announces at WWDC 2025 in a few weeks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Stuff.tv
10 hours ago
- Stuff.tv
You won't believe how long the battery life is on this mega cheap phone
Eyeing up a new smartphone? That £1000 price that the latest handsets typically come with is probably off-putting. Cheaper mid-range or budget handsets plug the gap, but they usually sacrifice some features to get that lower price – and battery is usually a big culprit. This sub-£200 phone is the opposite of that, with a bigger battery than any flagship smartphone you can currently buy. The Poco M7 has just landed with a frankly ludicrous 7000mAh battery thanks to the latest silicon-carbon tech. Poco reckons you can squeeze just over two days out of it with regular use. You can expect 28 hours of video playback or 46 hours of calls. That's bordering on post-apocalyptic survival kit territory. It even supports reverse charging, which means you can juice up another device or your friend's dying handset without touching a plug. Read more: Best cheap phones in 2025 reviewed and rated Now, obviously it's not just a giant battery glued to a plank. You're also getting a rather massive 6.9-inch FHD+ display with a 144Hz refresh rate – smooth enough to make scrolling through TikTok feel like gliding through silk. It's got all the right display certifications too, so your eyes won't melt after three hours of doomscrolling. There's even a 200% volume boost for audio that'll make your morning alarm actually work. Or let you watch Christopher Nolan films and still hear what the characters are saying. Under the hood, the Snapdragon 685 chip runs the show, paired with Xiaomi's new HyperOS 2. Sure, it's not a gaming powerhouse, but it'll handle your daily swipes and taps without turning into a toaster. There's also the obligatory AI stuff thrown in – Google Gemini assistant and Circle to Search make their way in. I suppose that makes this one of the cheapest phones you can get with Google's AI smarts baked in. If that's even something you care about. On the back, there's a 50MP dual camera set-up. I expect it's going to be decent in daylight and fine for social media, but don't expect miracles at night. Still, Auto Night Mode and Dynamic Shots features should help it punch above its weight. Round front, there's an 8MP selfie snapper that should handle your Instagram photos with ease. I'm particularly impressed by just how big this battery is. Earlier this year, the Moto G86 impressed me with its 6720mAh battery in a £300 handset. But the Poco M7 blows this out of the water. The Poco M7 is available to order now from £169 for the 6GB+128GB variant, or £189 for the 8GB+256GB version. But right now, it starts at £129 directly from Xiaomi and £119 on Amazon. It comes in Black, Blue, or the rather excellent-looking Silver.
Stuff.tv
3 days ago
- Stuff.tv
What would you do if Google, Apple and Microsoft closed your cloud accounts without warning?
You know that gut-wrenching moment when you try to access a vital online account and find the service has faceplanted? Perhaps you're on a deadline but Google Docs is having a little nap. Or you need to check your calendar, but iCloud has nipped out for coffee. There's a moment of helplessness. Of sheer panic. Yet it subsides the second the service comes back online. Then you forget about it entirely. But what would you do if you kept hitting refresh and that moment of relief never came, because your cloud account had been closed? Think that could never happen to you? You're probably right. Chances are your Google or Apple account will outlive you. However, the tech world regularly coughs up a horror story that, if it happens to you, will feel like being smashed in the face by a nasty critter from Alien. There are tales of authors happily tapping away in Google Docs, thousands of words into a novel. They're in the zone after months of writer's block, finally feeling positive about what the future holds. And then – bang – everything is just gone. Or they perform an innocuous action, like the person I recently saw claim their account was closed for the crime of keeping a spreadsheet of movies they'd watched. And then there's the disturbing case of the man who fell foul of automation and extreme interpretations of knee-jerk laws. His Google account was shuttered because he sent photos of his child's inflamed groin to a doctor, and those photos got uploaded to Google Cloud. He was cleared of wrongdoing. The images were never shared publicly. Google didn't care. The cloud account stayed closed. If this is stressing you out, here's a nicer cloud that's never closed by a tech giant. (Image: engin akyurt.) Head in the clouds It's not just Google. Every so often, I'll hear from someone whose Apple account has been closed without warning or explanation. Microsoft too. If you keep almost nothing in the cloud, you might shrug. But that's not most people. Which means your digital life likely hinges on you not tripping automated systems run by corporate giants that don't care about you. One wrong move – that you didn't even realise was a wrong move – and you could lose access to services and data you rely on. Ideally, cloud providers wouldn't rifle through files without just cause. But they do – and sometimes they get things wrong. That should give you pause. And scope creep is real. CSAM detection is one thing, but corporations are increasingly twitchy about copyright infringement. It's not hard to imagine an account one day being torched over a dodgy copy of Super Mario Bros. lurking in a long-forgotten folder. If that happens, there won't be appeals. No humans to speak to. It'll be 'computer says no' and game over. So how can you protect yourself from your own personal cloud-lockout nightmare, however unlikely it seems? Don't be complacent. Back up everything that matters. If you already make backups, make sure your system pulls down full local copies, not shortcuts that will vanish if your account does. And test those backups actually work. If that sounds onerous, you needn't hoard everything, but do safeguard your most important, irreplaceable stuff. Because the cloud is someone else's computer. And when you keep all your stuff in someone else's house – and that someone doesn't give a jot about you – don't be shocked if, one day, they change the locks and leave you stranded.
Stuff.tv
5 days ago
- Stuff.tv
One of the best Apple Watch health features is now available again
One of my favourite health features on the Apple Watch (and other top smartwatches) is Blood Oxygen monitoring. It's a really useful health metric that I monitor over time. But last year, Apple had to disable the feature from the latest Apple Watch models after briefly pulling them from sale due to a patent dispute. Finally, after months of legal ping-pong with health brand Masimo, Apple's finally flicked the switch to bring the Blood Oxygen feature back – albeit with a bit of a software sleight of hand. I'm glad to see the feature return, even if it took a courtroom drama and a rather clever workaround. Read more: Best Apple Watch in 2025 reviewed and rated If you've got an Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, or an Ultra 2 bought in the US – and your model was tragically neutered of the Blood Oxygen feature – then you're in luck. As of today, a new free software update will give you access to a 'redesigned' Blood Oxygen feature. The tech giant has managed to technically comply with the ruling while still offering the same core functionality. Here's how it works now: the Watch still does the sensing, but your iPhone does all the actual number crunching. Because that gets around the patent dispute. Instead of glancing at your wrist to see your SpO2 levels, you'll now need to open the Health app on your iPhone. You'll find them in the Respiratory section of the app. It's not as elegant, sure, but it beats not having the feature at all. Fortunately, background measurements are still supported, so you don't need to sit still holding your breath while it runs. It's also worth noting that if you bought your Apple Watch outside of the US, none of this affects you. You still have the original version of the Blood Oxygen feature with full on-device results and no changes. But if you were eyeing the Series 10 or Ultra 2 models in the US, they're probably worth another look. To get the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature, you'll need to update your devices to iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1. It's only available in the US for now, and only for models bought in the States with part numbers ending in LW/A. I assume it'll be included in the first release of iOS 26 as well. If your Watch already had the feature before, you're not losing it – and if you're outside the U.S., you can carry on breathing easy.
