Apple Has a New Device in the Works. Here’s What We Know.

When Apple first unveiled the iPhone back in 2007, it didn’t just introduce a fun, new gadget; it completely altered the way people went about their day. Suddenly, things like checking email, browsing the web, listening to music and calling friends could all be done on a single palm-sized glass slab we carry everywhere. Now, nearly two decades later, the company appears to be working on a brand new device — one that could once again revolutionize how we use technology in our daily lives.

According to a recent report from The Information, Apple is developing a wearable, AI-powered pin designed to continuously take in the world around it. Described as a “thin, flat, circular disc,” the device will reportedly feature multiple cameras, microphones and a speaker, allowing it to see, hear and respond without requiring users to pull out a phone or tap on a screen.

Sources familiar with the project told The Information that the device could arrive as early as 2027, although it is in very early stages and “could still be canceled.” And Apple has not publicly confirmed the device or commented on its development. Even so, the details that have emerged thus far offer a glimpse into how the company may be thinking about life after the iPhone, and what an always-on, AI-first Apple product could potentially look like.

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What We Know About Apple’s New Device

Apple hasn’t publicly acknowledged this mysterious new gadget or shared any technical details, but a vague picture of what it will look like and be capable of is beginning to take shape.

The device is expected to be a thin, circular disc made of aluminum and glass, measuring at about the same dimensions as an Apple AirTag (1.3 inches in diameter and 0.3 inches thick). Designed to be pinned onto clothing, it will allegedly have two cameras — a standard lens and a wide angle lens — on its front face, which will capture photos and videos of the wearer’s surroundings, along with three microphones to pick up surrounding sounds. A built-in speaker will allow the device to talk back, while a physical button along its edge will give users some manual control. And on the back, it will have a magnetic inductive charging system, similar to the one used in the Apple Watch.

Because the device will be AI-powered, it likely won’t simply record what it sees and hears, but also understand and respond accordingly, without the user having to give explicit commands. And given Apple’s vast collection of consumer tech, the device could potentially work in tandem with other devices like the iPhone, AirPods or the company’s upcoming smart glasses. Exactly which AI model will power the new product remains unclear. However, Apple recently announced that it will be using Google’s Gemini models for its revamped Siri voice assistant and other Apple Intelligence initiatives, making Gemini the most plausible candidate.

It’s also unclear what exactly Apple’s end goal is here. The device could serve as a companion to the iPhone instead of an outright replacement — or it could be the first step in a longer-term effort to move beyond the smartphone altogether. Either way, its release would finally position the company as a serious competitor in the growing race to design devices explicitly for artificial intelligence.

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Why Is Apple Developing a New Device?

Although Apple has remained silent about its overall strategy behind this rumored device, its motivations are likely twofold: 

To Solve the AI “Body” Problem

For years, the AI industry has been grappling with what experts call the “body” problem, where machine intelligence is crammed into rigid, touch-based interfaces like smartphones and laptops instead of systems that play to AI’s strengths through things like voice commands or hand gestures. To fully integrate this technology into daily life, we need more intuitive ways for us to interact with it — and for it to interact with the world around us.

That’s why tech companies are developing entirely new AI-native form factors. For example, OpenAI is working on a screenless, pocket-sized device that will be powered entirely by a user’s voice. And both Google and Meta are rolling out smart glasses that can track wearers’ hand and eye movements, as well as follow spoken commands. Now, Apple seems to be joining the fray with a gadget of its own.

In the long run, these investments in physical hardware could not only enable more seamless communication between AI and humans, but also give AI the real-world data and experience it needs to evolve into what’s known as artificial general intelligence (AGI), the theoretical stage where AI thinks and learns exactly like a human. If achieved, AGI could supercharge everything from autonomous robots to self-driving cars, ushering in a whole new era for artificial intelligence.

To Become a Viable AI Competitor

Apple’s ambitions for this new device are no doubt personal, too, especially considering how far behind it has fallen in the AI arms race in general. Once the standard-bearer for consumer technology, the company has yet to leave a mark in the generative AI space the way other tech giants have.

Siri was one of the first voice assistants to hit the market, but now it lags behind successors like Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa and ChatGPT in terms of intelligence and contextual awareness. And the recent launch of the iPhone 17 barely mentioned Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI system that is still largely in the making. To this day, much of Apple’s AI capabilities rely on third-party technology — an awkward position for a brand so synonymous with innovation.

However, the company appears to be working to change that. Current partnerships with Google, OpenAI and Anthropic will keep it in the game while it continues to work on its own AI models. It is also reportedly working to jazz up Siri with a conversational, chatbot-style interface that more closely resembles its competitors. And now, this new AI-first device puts Apple squarely back in its wheelhouse: consumer technology. With so many players vying to replace the iPhone as the next go-to gadget, who better to take a crack at it than the company that actually invented it?

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How Will Apple’s Device Compare to Others?

The AI-native device sector is a diverse one, and it’s gotten crowded fast. Companies are experimenting with everything from glasses and wristbands to brain-computer chips that require surgical implantation.

In terms of form and function, the device Apple is working on seems to most closely resemble existing products like Plaud’s NotePin or Bee’s AI pin, which Amazon acquired in 2025.  It has also drawn frequent comparisons to Humane’s AI pin, a screenless wearable created by two former Apple employees that had built-in microphones and cameras as well. Humane’s device launched in 2024 with a lot of fanfare, but struggled to find an audience and was ultimately sold to HP about a year later — a stark reminder of how tenuous this market is.

Apple’s device also appears to bear a resemblance with the wearable OpenAI is developing with former Apple design chief Jony Ive. Both devices are expected to continuously gather information through cameras and microphones, rely heavily on voice interaction and work alongside existing tech like phones and computers. In fact, The Information noted that Apple is pushing to accelerate development in part to compete with OpenAI’s device, which is slated to debut in 2026.

It’s worth remembering, however, that Apple’s device is still in early development, so anything we know now is liable to change.

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What Apple’s New Device Could Mean for the Future

Apple’s rumored device could have far-reaching implications for consumer technology as a whole. Even if it doesn’t replace smartphones entirely, it could change how — and how often — people actually use them. Users might prompt the device to carry out tasks across their phone or laptop with simple voice commands or ambient intelligence, reducing the need to constantly look at screens and type on a keyboard. Plus, with access to data from both its surroundings and other Apple products, it could act proactively, anticipating its user’s needs and taking action without being explicitly asked.

That future is far from guaranteed, though. Things like pricing, privacy protections, regulations and consumers’ willingness to adjust long-standing habits will all play a role in whether or not the device gains enough traction to be commercially viable. And with the project still in early stages, it remains unclear what the final product will look like — if Apple even launches it at all.

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