Apple is working on an AI wearable device that's been described as a pin or a pendant. Apple is experimenting with the device right now, but if development moves forward, it could launch as soon as 2027.

We've rounded up everything we know about the AI pin so far.

Design

The pin is said to be similar in size to an AirTag, with a thin, flat, circular disc shape. It features an aluminum and glass shell, and there's a physical control button on one edge. Apple apparently wants the final version of the device to be about the same size as an ‌AirTag‌, but with the hardware inside, it will be slightly thicker.

Apple will let users attach it to clothing or a bag with a clip, or wear it as a necklace using a hole at the top of the accessory.

The AI pin wirelessly charges like an Apple Watch.

Camera

Apple plans to add a camera to the AI pin, but rumors are mixed on what the camera will do.

Bloomberg says the pin will have a low-resolution camera that gives it info about its surroundings rather than a camera for capturing photos and videos. The camera will be always-on and always recording, but users will not be able to use it for images.

The Information believes there will be two front cameras, one with a standard lens and one with a wide-angle lens for capturing photos and videos.

Apple's AI device will rely heavily on Visual Intelligence, which is currently an iPhone feature that uses the camera to provide users with more information about places and objects around them.

Speaker and Microphone

The AI pin has at least one microphone for speaking to Siri and picking up sounds around the wearer, but Apple has not decided whether to add a speaker for back-and-forth ‌Siri‌ conversations and audio playback.

Siri

The AI pin will run the updated version of ‌Siri‌ that Apple plans to unveil in iOS 27. Apple is working on a chatbot upgrade for ‌Siri‌, putting it on par with Claude, Gemini, and OpenAI.

‌Siri‌ will be powered by a version of Gemini thanks to Apple's partnership with Google. All of the intelligence features promised in iOS 18 are expected in iOS 27, plus more.

iPhone Reliance

The AI pin will have a dedicated chip inside, but it will be similar to the H2 chip in the AirPods. It's not going to be a high-powered chip, and most processing will be done on the iPhone.

Apple is not designing the AI pin to be a standalone device, and it will instead be marketed as an iPhone accessory. Bloomberg said some Apple employees see it as the "eyes and ears" of the iPhone.

Competition

OpenAI is also rumored to be working on an AI device through its collaboration with former Apple designer Jony Ive. OpenAI's device will be powered by ChatGPT, and it could launch in 2027. Rumors suggest that it's a small, pocket-sized non-wearable, but it would still compete with a similar AI wearable from Apple.

Other wearable AI devices like the $700 Humane AI Pin have failed, but the Humane pin was developed as a standalone device rather than an accessory to an existing product like the iPhone.

Apple's Other AI Wearable Work

Apple is working on AirPods that have a built-in infrared camera that's meant to gather information about the wearer's surroundings, similar to the pin. Development on the AirPods is further along, and rumors suggest we could see a camera-equipped version of the AirPods Pro as soon as this year.

Apple is also developing smart glasses that will compete with the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will have a high-resolution camera system able to capture photos and videos, plus a second camera that feeds visual data to ‌Siri‌ for environmental context. The glasses won't have an embedded display in the lens, and are reliant on the upcoming smarter version of ‌Siri‌.

Launch Date

Development on the AI pin is in the early stages, and it could still be canceled. If Apple moves forward with plans for the pin, it's possible that it could launch as soon as 2027.

Source: Macrumors