Apple mulling smart glasses with no photo or video recording to combat privacy fears – report
Apple's first smart glasses could use cameras just help the on-board AI learn about the world around the wearer, rather than film photos and videos.
Apple is mulling releasing smart glasses without the ability to shoot photos and videos via the on-board camera, according to a new report. Amid the ongoing privacy concerns emerging from the use of cameras within Meta’s smart glasses, Apple has ‘debated’ deploying the cameras only for environmental purposes, much like the current visual intelligence tools on iPhone.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that in this scenario, cameras would be used for the express purposes of collecting data about the world around the wearer.
He writes: “Another option that Apple executives have debated: including the full camera system but not allowing it to record photos or video at all. In this scenario, the cameras would be exclusively for seeing the world around the user and feeding that data into AI tools, such as ones that identify objects and places. This would be similar to what Apple is already planning for camera-equipped AirPods and would build on the visual intelligence features in the iPhone.”
In the last week, Instagram has promised to boot off users who post creepy videos filmed using smart glasses and, a few weeks prior to that, Meta released an update to ensure the camera would be disabled on any set of glasses where the cameras LED indicator light had been tampered with or covered.
In other news, Gurman’s report also claims Apple is planning to reveal its first take on smart glasses in less than a year. Apple is targeting WWDC 2027 – traditionally a software based event – to reveal what may end up being the spiritual successor to the iPhone. From that point on, the glasses would be available by the end of 2027, the report says.
Given the smart glasses may run on a version of visionOS, it would make sense to debut the glasses at WWDC. Apple will need to get third-party developers on board if the device is to be a success. We’re likely to see Apple debut new ways or interacting with Apple devices through Siri AI where, again, it would make sense to showcase the advancements at WWDC 2027.
Chris Smith
