In a quiet corner of Cupertino, Apple’s silicon dream factory is revving up for its next major leap—and this time, it’s not just about faster MacBooks.
According to Apple insider Mark Gurman, Apple is secretly crafting a powerful new line of in-house chips to fuel an ambitious array of future products, from its first smart glasses to dedicated AI servers.
Yes, you read that right—Apple is finally stepping into the smart glasses arena, and if Gurman’s sources are accurate, this isn’t some distant experiment.
The chip that will power Apple’s sleek specs is already in the works, reportedly based on the ultra-efficient Apple Watch silicon but radically reengineered for high-performance, low-energy processing.
Think AI-powered lenses with multiple onboard cameras—and enough power efficiency to avoid turning your temples into toasters.
The move signals more than just new hardware. It’s Apple taking dead aim at Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have quickly become a hit by delivering a slick, lightweight alternative to bulky headsets like Apple’s own $3,500 Vision Pro.
With Meta’s glasses starting at just £379 and offering real-time AI interaction, Apple needs a game-changer—and it’s betting that custom silicon will give it the edge.
Smart glasses – Just the beginning.
Gurman reports that Apple’s silicon division, now the engine room of the company’s innovation machine, is also working on next-generation Mac chips—dubbed M6 (“Komodo”) and M7 (“Borneo”)—and, more significantly, on Apple’s first-ever server chips designed specifically for AI.
If true, this would mark a bold pivot, positioning Apple not just as a consumer tech giant, but a serious contender in the global AI infrastructure race, taking on the likes of Nvidia, AMD, and even Google.
These AI chips are expected to support the still-under-wraps Apple Intelligence platform—a system that could eventually compete with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic in the high-stakes world of generative AI.
It’s all part of a long-term chip strategy that was turbocharged when Apple dumped Intel in 2020 and began designing its own processors.
The company doubled down in 2023, extending its deal with ARM Holdings well into the 2040s, ensuring it has the architectural backbone to keep designing bespoke chips for a generation.
And while Apple declined to comment on Bloomberg’s report—no surprise there—the implications are loud and clear: the world’s most valuable company is building a future in which it controls not just the hardware, but the brains behind it.
Production of the smart glasses chip could begin as soon as late 2026, with a commercial launch expected around 2029. TSMC, Apple’s longtime manufacturing partner, will reportedly handle production.
