Nothing Confirms AI Smart Glasses for 2027 and AI-Powered Earbuds for Late 2026

Nothing Technology, the Carl Pei–led startup known for its transparent Phone (2a) and Ear earbuds, is entering the smart glasses race. A Bloomberg report reveals the company is developing AI-powered smart glasses for H1 2027 and AI-focused earbuds for late 2026.

What We Know About Nothing's Smart Glasses

• Hardware: Cameras, microphones, and speakers — no display, similar to Meta's approach with Ray-Ban smart glasses
• Processing: All AI computation handled by a paired smartphone and cloud servers, keeping the glasses lightweight
• Design philosophy: Nothing's track record of striking transparent design suggests these won't look like typical tech glasses
• Timeline: First half of 2027, giving Nothing time to refine the hardware after its AI earbuds launch

AI Earbuds Coming First

Before the glasses, Nothing plans to launch AI-focused earbuds later in 2026. These are expected to build on the Nothing Ear (3) platform with deeper AI integration — likely including real-time translation, voice-activated AI assistants, and contextual audio features.

Why Carl Pei Changed His Mind

Pei previously expressed skepticism about smart glasses as a product category. The shift reflects Meta's success with Ray-Ban smart glasses (72% market share) and Apple's late-2026 entry, which has validated the category. Nothing's multi-device strategy now extends across phones, earbuds, glasses, and potentially robots and EVs.

What This Means for Buyers

Nothing's glasses are too far out to affect buying decisions today. If you want AI smart glasses now, the Ray-Ban Meta at $379 on Amazon remains the clear leader. For AI earbuds, the AirPods Pro 3 at $199 and Sony WF-1000XM6 at $279 are the ones to beat. Browse our smart glasses guide and earbuds comparison for all options.