I didn’t think I’d care for Apple’s smart glasses, now they’re the only choice that makes sense

The foldable iPhone — or the ‘iPhone Ultra’ if you will — isn’t the only upcoming Apple product that should have your attention. Smart glasses, which might just overtake smartphones in the near future, are improving daily, and Apple is working on its own offerings as well.

Apple’s smart glasses are coming out next year. There’s a lot to get excited about here and there’s also something more serious that we need to talk about. But first, let’s gush over what Apple is working on.

Apple’s smart glasses will feel premium

According to a very comprehensive recent report about Apple’s smart glasses, the company has decided to make in-house frames. Unlike Meta, Apple is not partnering with a major manufacturer like EssilorLuxottica.

However, that doesn’t mean that the glasses won’t be fashionable or made of decent materials. Apple’s smart glasses will be made of acetate — a material that feels much better than plastic — and there are four designs currently being tested.

• Wayfarer
• Rectangular
• Large oval
• Small oval

Color options currently being evaluated include the following three choices:

• Black
• Ocean Blue
• Light Brown

Sounds great so far, right? There’s a downside, though.

These are very basic offerings

Apple’s first smart glasses coming out next year will not have a display. Even though the Meta Ray-Ban Display exist, and Meta is aiming to release proper AR smart glasses next year, Apple’s glasses will come without a display at first.

Instead, the glasses will be very much like the standard Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses and similar other options currently on the market. There will be one or more cameras, a microphone, speakers, and integration with the Apple ecosystem. That last part is especially important for iPhone users who value the company’s walled garden.

A test run before bigger things

The success of these glasses depends on two major factors, in my opinion: the Apple brand name and the successful deployment of a new Siri later this year.

One of the reasons that the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses are so popular is because of how capable Meta AI has become. The glasses truly do meld into being an intuitive part of your life.

Apple’s first offerings will probably be a test run with limited quantities to gauge consumer interest. The company’s first foray into XR (Extended Reality) with the Apple Vision Pro wasn’t exactly something to write home about.

If the glasses take off with the Apple user base, then the company will undoubtedly start working on better versions with 2D or even proper AR displays with depth. And I really hope they do, because the Apple smart glasses seem like the only feasible option at this point.

Why Apple? What about Meta?

Apple, Google, Samsung, Meta, and many other companies are expanding their operations in the XR world. Google and Samsung are reportedly working on glasses as well, though details remain scarce for now.

Of the big, most recognizable players in the game, Meta is undoubtedly at the top. The company’s experience of over a decade with its VR headsets has prepared it to crown itself king of this emerging market. I no longer want that to happen.

Meta has done great work for the XR industry and I’ve respected it for that for a long time. Unfortunately, the company isn’t done being careless with your data according to a recent investigation.

The Meta Ray-Ban glasses share your intimate moments — recordings, photos, videos, and more — with workers in other countries. Workers who are not allowed to bring in phones to work because Meta is very aware of the sensitive nature of their jobs.

Meta allows this to happen, despite how morally bankrupt it is. You consent to this when you agree to go online with your Ray-Ban glasses and skip the lengthy, boring terms of service. The investigation shows how these clauses are hidden behind vague explanations of how your data might “sometimes” be reviewed manually.

We have no clue when Samsung or Google will release glasses of their own. If you really want to get a pair from one of the big players, then Apple really is the only option let now.

Yes, Meta makes good glasses. But are you really comfortable with your entire life being shown to someone on the other side of the world? I’m not, and all of my enthusiasm for Meta’s ventures into XR has dissipated completely.