Apple delays smart glasses launch to June 2027, wrestles with privacy messaging

Apple has delayed the launch of its first smart glasses, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The product, originally targeted for early 2027, is now set to be unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2027, with availability following by the end of the year. The delay gives Apple more time to refine the product itself and shape its messaging around privacy.

Gurman reports that Apple appears to have taken note of the backlash facing Meta’s smart glasses, which have sometimes been decried as “pervert glasses” over their use for non-consensual video recordings. That kind of criticism could pose a bigger problem for Apple, a company that consistently emphasizes privacy in its marketing.

Apple will reportedly lean on privacy-friendly features such as on-device processing and the absence of facial recognition. The company will likely avoid using customer recordings to train AI models, and it’s unlikely to follow Meta’s reported practice of having contractors review customer footage.

Why it matters

If Apple can ship smart glasses without the privacy backlash Meta has faced, it could set the bar other hardware makers have to clear as the category grows.