3 min read
Apple is continuing its focus on mixed reality, despite slower-than-expected sales of its $3,500 Vision Pro headset. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company is working on two new Vision Pro models. Apple is developing two new Vision Pro models: a lighter, more affordable version and a Mac-compatible model for high-performance, professional use.
After months of internal debate over the future of the Vision Pro, which has been praised as a technological feat but criticized for its bulky design and steep price tag, Apple is charting a clearer course. Widespread adoption of the existing Vision Pro faces challenges due to its 1.5-pound weight and high price point, compelling Apple to initiate significant product modifications according to “back to the drawing board,” as sources describe.
Now, Apple is preparing a leaner version of the Vision Pro that aims to solve both comfort and cost issues. Though making the device lighter is achievable, reducing the price could be more complex due to ongoing tariff uncertainties, particularly with production still based in China.
More intriguing is Apple’s development of a Vision Pro headset that plugs directly into a Mac. Unlike the previously shelved concept of AR glasses with transparent lenses tethered to a Mac, this model will retain the fully immersive displays of the current Vision Pro. The objective involves developing an ultra-low-latency wired system that suits business operations such as surgical imaging or flight simulator applications which demand top performance and precision.
This wired headset possesses the capability to function as an advanced virtual display, which provides enhanced capabilities for professional users to expand Apple’s productivity applications.
In a notable internal shift, Apple recently dismantled its Vision Products Group (VPG), the once all-in-one team behind Vision Pro. Employees reacted with uncertainty to this strategic shift because they envisioned it as evidence that Apple might abandon its headset development despite the previous car project’s cancellation. According to internal sources, Apple is actually concentrating its efforts to advance while streamlining its operations.
The Vision Pro serves as the leading product for spatial computing at Apple but CEO Tim Cook has consistently focused on developing wireless AR glasses that users can wear throughout the day. The vision has required a decade of development, which needs groundbreaking innovations in display technology alongside breakthroughs in chip efficiency and battery life and improvements in software usability.
Sources close to the matter say Cook is “hell-bent” on beating Meta and other rivals to market with AR glasses that truly integrate into everyday life. “Tim cares about nothing else,” one source claimed. “It’s the only thing he’s really spending his time on from a product development standpoint.”
In the meantime, Apple is preparing incremental steps toward that AR future. This includes developing AI-enabled cameras for upcoming AirPods and Apple Watch models, as well as early prototypes of glasses with built-in microphones and Siri access. However, there is internal debate over whether these glasses should include media capture features, which could challenge Apple’s strict privacy stance.
