According to the latest report from The Information, Apple is developing its own wearable AI Pin. Apple's product could potentially rival the upcoming Jony Ive-designed AI hardware device that OpenAI has scheduled for release in 2026.
The information claims that, “according to people with direct knowledge of the project,” Apple's AI Pin is about the size of an AirTag and is equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, microphones, and wireless charging. The device could go on sale as early as 2027, according to the report.
A future beyond smartphones
The real question is not about the specifications, but how you would actually use the device. Interest in wearable AI devices was reignited last year when OpenAI announced it was acquiring Jony Ive's IoT company so it could work on a wearable AI device designed by Ive.
Since then, we have heard all kinds of rumors. OpenAI's mysterious device could take the form of an AI-powered pen, or it could be AirPods-like headphones that sit behind your ear instead of inside your ear.
About the only thing we know for sure is that it will arrive in 2026, which means that we will soon find out what it is and what could It will be the beginning of an era in which we will go beyond smartphones.
What we don't know about the Ive-designed device is how it will actually work. All we know so far is that this is an AI-powered hardware product.
The most famous wearable AI product to date, the Humane AI Pin, turned out to be a failure, largely because it couldn't function on its own as a product without a constant connection to a smartphone. While I didn't get a chance to use the Humane AI Pin, I did use the Rabbit R1, an AI device designed to be controlled via voice commands, and struggled to find a use for it that my smartphone couldn't do better.
For any wearable AI product to be successful, it must overcome that hurdle, and so far, none have.
Achilles heel
While Apple has undeniable and proven hardware development skills, AI has been something of an Achilles heel for the Cupertino giant. So far, it hasn't delivered on its promises of a fully AI-powered Siri.
Earlier this month, Apple announced that it would be partnering with Google to use the Gemini as the base model for its improved version of Siri. Having access to a large, reliable language model like Gemini could give Apple the software foundation it needs to build a new wearable AI product.
Still, the device would represent something of a gamble. Whatever AI Pin Apple is rumored to be working on will need to overcome the shortcomings of these early devices, and that's a real risk.
Apple is best known for its cautious and iterative approach to product development. The last time it took a chance on an entirely new category, it produced the Vision Pro, an expensive AR headset that few people were actually asking for and, ultimately, few wanted. While the Vision Pro is still being developed and sold, it's fair to say that it hasn't been a success so far.
That said, the fact that someone as serious as iPhone designer Jony Ive is involved in OpenAI's wearable AI ambitions suggests there could be a market for devices like this in the future, but Apple will have to do a lot to convince me I want this.
Apple may be able to create an AI Pin better than anyone else, but that doesn't automatically mean people want one. Until wearable AI can clearly replace something we already rely on, rather than sitting uncomfortably alongside it, devices like this risk looking like solutions in search of a problem. And after Vision Pro, Apple may find that consumers are less willing to take that leap of faith.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
The best business laptops for every budget
