Apple could have a secret weapon for the new Apple Glasses, which are expected to launch in early 2027. And, if this new report is true, the feature would give Apple a key advantage over the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
A new report from MacRumors claims the Apple glasses could feature something that Meta doesn't have: hand gesture controls. Per their article, the glasses will feature two cameras that help enable gestures.
One of the cameras would be used for capturing photo and videos. The other would be a lower-resolution lens that would be able to pick up hand gestures and work with Siri.
It would be a continuation of hand gesture capabilities available on the allegedly discontinued Vision Pro headset.
The first version of Apple's smart glasses are supposed to be similar to the Ray-Ban Meta, meaning they would lack a display. Like the Meta glasses, it would feature cameras, a speaker, and a microphone. It seems future iterations might include a screen.
A pipe dream?
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman pushed back on the MacRumors report in a social media post.
"The technology to do this reliably with a single camera, no neural band and no eye-scanning doesn’t exist today as far as I know," he wrote. He added that the first version of Apple Glasses likely won't have any "sophisticated form of gestures."
It is possible that the cameras could still be used for Siri integration, especially with the rumored AirPods Ultra that would utilize infrared versions. Gurman suggested as much in a follow-up post.
MacRumors even notes that battery life is a huge constraint for Apple as it tries to keep its glasses slim and lightweight, even as it pursues a variety of frame types. Gesture controls might be a power hog depending on how they're developed and what the chip powering the glasses can handle.
The glasses are supposed to run on an improved version of Siri that will launch with iOS 27 later this year.
Currently, rumors indicate Apple will announce the glasses this fall, possibly in September or October, but the frames won't launch until early 2027.
