But a 2027 timeline could give Meta the advantage for years.

A future version of Apple AirPods could have a completely different design, an updated report has just claimed, saying they could arrive alongside smart glasses like the Meta Ray-Bans.

Apple is reportedly quadrupling its efforts in the visual tech market, but Meta's Orion will be a tough act to follow.

Apple is purportedly planning a new product lineup for 2027, leveraging its research and development investment in the Vision Pro headset

Similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban partnership, Apple is creating vision-based goods, such as smart glasses and AirPods with cameras. These cutting-edge gadgets are still in the development stage and are not anticipated to be released before 2027,

Apple is also reportedly working on a version of AirPods with cameras. As we've previously reported, the idea is for the earbuds to enable new spatial audio experiences, perhaps when combined with the Vision Pro. Both the smart glasses and the AirPods might arrive as early as 2027.

The Apple Vision Pro saw relatively low demand when it launched earlier this year—largely because of its hefty $3,500 price tag. Now, Apple's Vision Products Group is hoping to produce a hit with a slightly cheaper Vision headset without the "Pro" designation that costs $2,000.