Apple is reportedly developing an AirTag-sized AI wearable pin

Apple may be quietly laying the groundwork for its own AI-first wearable, and it is said to be smaller than you might expect. According to a report from The Information, the company is developing a pin-like device that can be worn on clothing, roughly the size of an AirTag, albeit slightly thicker.

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The device is said to feature two cameras, one standard and one wide-angle, along with three microphones. There is also reportedly a physical button, a speaker, and a charging strip on the back that works in a similar way to a Fitbit.

The design is described as a thin, flat, circular disc with an aluminium-and-glass shell, very much in line with Apple’s established hardware language.

A growing AI hardware race

The timing of this report is pretty notable. Just days earlier, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane suggested that the company’s first AI hardware product could be unveiled in the second half of this year, with separate reports hinting at AI-powered earbuds.

Apple’s reported push to accelerate development of its own wearable suggests it does not want to be caught watching from the sidelines.

The report claims Apple could target a 2027 launch, with ambitions of producing as many as a whopping 20 million units at release! That scale alone hints at how seriously Apple is taking the idea.

Lessons Apple can learn from past AI pins

Let’s be real; AI pins, so far, have had a bad rep. Humane’s much-hyped AI Pin, built by former Apple employees, arrived with similar promises of ambient computing through cameras and microphones. But it spectacularly failed to resonate with consumers and the company shut down within two years, eventually selling its assets to HP.

Whether Apple can succeed where others stumbled will depend on execution, privacy safeguards, and whether people actually want another always-on device clipped to their clothes.

What do you think of Apple’s rumoured AI device? Would you cop one? Drop a comment with your thoughts.