Apple's Smart Glasses Strategy Hinges on Siri and iPhone Apps

Apple's upcoming smart glasses, set to debut at WWDC in June 2027, will rely heavily on Siri and existing iPhone apps for functionality, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The glasses, internally referred to as N50, are thinner than Meta's Ray-Bans and feature a magnetic charging connector. They support music playback, calls, and FaceTime audio, with Apple experimenting on privacy features.

The glasses will primarily interact through Siri, which will use cameras to recognize surroundings and provide information like identifying buildings, suggesting meals, providing directions, and offering translations. Apple intends to support various iPhone features, including calls, messages, notifications, calendar, standard and visual reminders, music controls, and smart home controls.

Developers will need to enable Siri to control specific features in their iPhone apps, allowing tasks like booking restaurant tables, requesting rides, ordering coffee, shopping, and purchasing movie tickets. The glasses will require a recent iPhone model, with no Android support, and will function as an extension of the paired phone due to its limited processing power.

Audio playback might work over Wi-Fi, but the glasses won't operate independently. The first prototype runs a reduced version of visionOS 28 and contains a processor derived from older Apple Watch chips. Apple aims to release support for its own apps in December, followed by third-party support in 2027, positioning the glasses as a strong alternative to rivals with access to its existing app ecosystem.