The latest reports suggest that Apple plans to begin mass production of a display-free smart glasses product in the second quarter of 2027. Its core features will include audio playback, a built-in camera, video recording, and AI-powered environmental perception.
The smart glasses will offer a variety of frame and temple material options, with Apple actively testing the use of 3D printing technology to manufacture these components in order to enhance production efficiency and design flexibility. Shipments are expected to reach between 3 to 5 million units—or more—by 2027.
Preliminary assessments suggest that the glasses will incorporate plastic materials. If 3D printing is adopted for production, potential manufacturing processes include HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), EOS’s Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Carbon’s CLIP technology.
Eyeglass frames manufactured using MJF 3D printing technology
Eyeglass frames manufactured using SLS 3D printing technology
Apple’s large-scale testing of 3D printing technology for eyeglass temples and frames may be partly driven by the ability to design hollow structures within the frame to accommodate built-in components, as well as to utilize lattice structures that help reduce the overall weight of the glasses. Another likely reason is that 3D printing achieves a material utilization rate of over 95%, generating virtually zero waste—an advantage that aligns seamlessly with Apple’s recent emphasis on its carbon neutrality strategy.
Eyeglass frame manufactured using CLIP 3D printing technology
The Japanese luxury eyewear brand JINS previously launched its Neuron4D line, which features eyeglass frames manufactured using Carbon’s technology. These frames incorporate internal channels and lattice-structured temples, showcasing the advantages of 3D printing technology in producing key components for smart glasses.
