Apple is reportedly accelerating development of its own smart glasses product, with the company testing four different design variations in an effort to compete with Meta’s popular Ray-Ban smart glasses. According to sources familiar with the project, Apple aims to bring the device to market as early as 2027.

The tech giant has been quietly building its augmented reality capabilities for years, but the project has faced numerous delays and technical challenges. Now, with Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration proving surprisingly successful, Apple appears to be ramping up its efforts to capture a share of the emerging smart glasses market.

“Apple doesn’t like being second in any category,” said tech analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies. “The success of Meta’s glasses has clearly lit a fire under them. They see this as the next major computing platform after smartphones.”

The four design variations reportedly include options with and without displays, as well as different frame styles and camera configurations. Apple is said to be prioritizing a lightweight, fashionable design that could appeal to mainstream consumers rather than early tech adopters.

Unlike the current generation of Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which focus primarily on audio and photography, Apple’s device is expected to incorporate more advanced augmented reality features. The company has been developing custom silicon specifically for AR applications, which could give its glasses significant performance advantages.

Privacy remains a key concern for any camera-equipped wearable device. Apple is reportedly exploring various solutions, including LED indicators that clearly show when the camera is active and geofencing technology that automatically disables recording in sensitive locations.

The smart glasses market is still in its infancy, with Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration shipping approximately 2 million units since its 2023 launch. However, analysts project the market could grow to over 50 million units annually by 2030 as technology improves and prices decline.

“This is about defining the future of personal computing,” said analyst Gene Munster of Loup Ventures. “The smartphone market is mature. Apple needs its next big thing, and smart glasses could be it.”

Apple has not officially commented on the reports, and the company is known for canceling projects late in development if they don’t meet its exacting standards. However, with Meta gaining momentum and Google also rumored to be developing new AR glasses, the pressure on Apple to deliver is mounting.