Donews reported on February 26 that on February 26, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring the development of AI glasses and AirPods with cameras within the company.
According to Interface News, Gurman said that the positioning of Apple's smart glasses may be a replacement for AirPods, but with the addition of more sensors, AI functions and a battery that lasts longer.
According to his estimates, the smart glasses are cheaper than the Vision Pro, but they are not the same as the AR headset with a high-quality transparent display that Apple is trying to explore. Smart glasses are one of Apple's efforts in this direction, and it's more like Meta Ray-Bans smart glasses. The latter comes with a camera and an AI assistant that users can talk to without a display.
The article also claims that Apple has been working on AirPods with cameras since last year, codenamed "B798". The headphones are almost the same size as existing AirPods, but with a low-resolution camera embedded in them. Cameras can be used to take pictures, as well as implement multiple functions through AI to assist users in their daily lives.
Wearables have become the most focused next-generation hardware in the tech sector. According to a report released by IDC, in the third quarter of 2023, global wearable device shipments reached 1500 million units, a year-on-year increase of 26%, the highest shipment volume in the third quarter since 2021.
According to IDC's analysis, this growth is mainly due to the rapid development of small brands and emerging categories, such as the smaller, more fashionable design category smart ring, which has begun to gain traction. In addition, more brands have launched new products one after another, which also brings freshness to the market.
As far as the Chinese market is concerned, in the third quarter of 2023, the Chinese wearable device market shipped 34.7 million units, a year-on-year increase of 75%, also showing a growth trend.
At MWC 2024, which has just kicked off, South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung will unveil its smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, for the first time. The company claims that the smart product is based on AI technology and can provide a completely different interactive experience from other smart devices.
The official launch of this product is expected to be within 2024. As a new category in the field of wearable devices, smart rings can achieve functions such as health monitoring, sports monitoring, message reminders, NFC, and so on.
At the beginning of 2024, a research report released by the western ** pointed out that as the head mobile phone brand manufacturers have successively entered the smart ring market, it shows that the head technology hardware companies are more recognized by this emerging smart wearable product. Driven by major mobile phone manufacturers, the smart ring industry is expected to accelerate its development, and 2024 may become the first year of volume.
After the explosion of generative AI, this kind of lightweight wearable device combined with AI has become one of the most interesting product directions for many technology companies.
In November 2023, designers and engineers who worked for Apple showcased their new AI PIN for artificial intelligence hardware. This smart "brooch" can be carried in a pocket, pinned to the chest, has network connectivity and voice control, and is embedded with microphones, cameras and other technologies.
Apple clearly wants to capitalize on this new opportunity, and its investment in wearables continues to accelerate.
A week ago, according to the Electronic Times, the company's progress on the development of smart rings is close to the commercialization stage, and it will not be too long before it can be launched. But whether users will pay for these new devices depends on how attractive they are.