Apple’s ‘Ray Ban-Like’ Smartglasses To Drive Industry Sales Beyond 10M Units In 2027, Says Analyst

After a quiet 2026, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is expected to be brisk with its head-mounted device launches in the subsequent year.

Taiwan-based TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note that Apple viewed head-mounted devices as the next major trend in consumer electronics. The renowned analyst stated that the company currently has seven products in development in this category, with four being SmartGlass variants and the remaining three being Vision series iterations.

Five of these products have confirmed timelines, the analyst said.

Kuo expects that the “Ray Ban-like” smartglasses would be the first to achieve significant volume. He predicts shipments of three to four million units or more in 2027, which will push overall industry sales beyond 10 million units. 

In comparison, Apple is estimated to have sold over 230 million units of its flagship iPhone devices in the fiscal year 2024.

Delving into Apple’s strengths and pitfalls, Kuo said the company’s robust hardware development capabilities and ecosystem integration are its key competitive advantages. On the other hand, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered operating systems and software.would pose challenges, he said.

Apple’s lack of a compelling new product lineup and its delayed AI foray have put the company on the back foot. Reflecting the pushbacks and the uncertain macro and geopolitical situation, Apple’s stock has lost nearly 20% this year. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward the stock was ‘bearish’ (40/100) by late Sunday, and the message volume was ‘normal. The bulk of negativity of the retail crowd is attributed to factors extraneous to the company.

On the Ray-Ban-like smartglasses front, Kuo envisions multiple frame and temple material options, as well as voice control and gesture recognition user interfaces, with no display functionality. According to the analyst, the core features included audio playback, camera, video recording, and AI environmental sensing.

The analyst sees such devices potentially replacing True Wireless (TWS) and smartphone camera functions

Kuo thinks this product category represents the smart glasses segment with the highest near-term growth potential.

The analyst also looks ahead to XR Glasses and Display accessories in this category.

In terms of the Vision Series, Kuo anticipates that the Vision Pro M5 version will enter mass production in the third quarter of 2025. The Vision Air is expected to enter mass production in the third quarter of 2027, with the second-generation Vision Pro following in the second half of 2028.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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