With nearly $2 billion, an Israeli acquisition signals Apple’s renewed push into AI wearables, aiming to enable private, speech-free interaction with intelligent assistants.
Apple has acquired Israeli startup Q.AI in a deal valued at close to $2 billion, marking one of the largest acquisitions in the iPhone maker’s history. The purchase signals Apple’s intent to accelerate its push into AI-powered wearable devices.
The four-year-old company develops technology that can interpret facial expressions and subtle muscle movements to enable ‘silent speech’. The system allows users to interact with AI without speaking aloud. Patents suggest the technology is designed for use in headphones and smart glasses.
Apple said the acquisition will strengthen its capabilities in imaging and machine learning. Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice-president of hardware technologies, described Q.AI as a pioneer in creative applications of AI and computer vision.
The deal comes as competition intensifies among technology companies racing to build new AI-first wearable products. Meta has gained traction with its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which support voice-based AI interaction. Google and Snap are expected to launch smart glasses later in 2026. OpenAI is also developing a compact AI device following its acquisition of Jony Ive’s start-up IO.
Apple has faced growing investor concern about its pace in AI. Its upgraded Siri assistant has been delayed and is widely seen as lagging behind rivals such as Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Apple recently partnered with Google to integrate Gemini into its AI services, branded Apple Intelligence.
Historically, Apple has avoided large acquisitions, favouring smaller ones to acquire talent and intellectual property. Its biggest deal remains the $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014. Several major acquisitions have focused on semiconductors, including Intel’s modem business and Dialog Semiconductor.
More recent deals reflect Apple’s emphasis on AI and computer vision, following the launch of the Vision Pro headset. These include acquisitions of Israeli startups TrueMeeting and Pointable.
Founded in Tel Aviv in 2022, Q.AI has operated largely in secrecy. Its founders previously worked on PrimeSense, whose technology became central to Apple’s Face ID system.
