Apple's Q.ai buy makes sense if 'silent speech' boosts wearable accuracy, SAG says

QBeyond AG

02/02/2026 14:29

** Apple's AAPL.O acquisition of Israeli startup Q.ai makes sense if the iPhone maker can successfully integrate the startup's "silent speech" recognition across its wearable portfolio, market research firm Smart Analytics Global says

** SAG says Q.ai's silent speech recognition tech, which detects subtle facial muscle, lip and skin micro-movements, could improve accuracy and hands-free interaction across AAPL's wearable portfolio

** AAPL sold about 560 mln AirPods between 2017 and 2025, generating roughly $75 bln in cumulative revenue, SAG estimates

** Expects Apple's upcoming AI smart glasses to ship about 60 mln units between 2027 and 2030, generating ~$24 bln in revenue

** SAG says that by the late 2020s, AAPL's combined annual ecosystem of AirPods, Vision Pro and AI glasses could approach ~100 mln units per year, translating to roughly $22 bln in annual revenue

** AAPL rose ~9% last year

 (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru)

 ((Jaspreet.Singh@thomsonreuters.com ; https://twitter.com/i_jass))