Apple is allegedly working on two new Vision Pro headsets
Apple is reportedly developing two new Vision Pro headsets, including an ultra-low-latency model that would require a wired connection with a Mac.
Mark Gurman wrote in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg that the iPhone maker has two headsets in concurrent development. One is said to be both lighter and more affordable than the current Apple headset.
The other sounds like a high-end model packing even more technology than the current headset. Gurman said nothing about its possible pricing, but it seems like that one could easily cost even more than the current $3500 Vision Pro.
Rumor: Apple developing two new Vision Pro headsets
Gurman writes that Apple recently broke up the internal Vision Pro Group, which had its own hardware engineering, software, services and product management teams, reintegrating its parts across other company segments. The change follows the company structure Steve Jobs established decades ago, where development is spread out across multiple functional teams.
Gurman also learned that Apple’s leadership contemplated whether to launch another Vision Pro model or change the headset “to gain more consumer interest” after spending several billion dollars on developing the first model. Apple might separate the Vision Pro into two lines: cheaper headsets with good-enough hardware and high-end headsets with cutting-edge specifications.
The new plan is to release a model that makes the headset both lighter and cheaper. The current version weighs nearly 1.5 pounds and can often strain a wearer’s neck and head. Many people who wear it for long periods of time require third-party straps to alleviate the discomfort. The fact that Apple offers this option on its website is an acknowledgement of the issue.
Weight is an issue, but the biggest problem plaguing the Vision Pro isn’t its weight but the incredibly steep $3500 price. Apple needs a much more affordable headset to compete successfully with Meta’s Quest headset for the mainstream consumer. The current model is more than seven times the price of the Quest.
One of the new headsets will seek to address these issues, though reducing the cost may be even more challenging with the possibility of tariffs (the Vision Pro, at least the first version, is made in China).
Apple does need a cheaper Vision Pro, but “cheap” is a relative term in Apple talk. Earlier rumors speculated that a more affordable Vision Pro might cost between $1500 and $2500 and still require tethering to an iPhone or a Mac. Contrast this with the $500 Quest 3 and its “light” variant, the Quest 3S, priced at $270. At those prices, the Quest is almost an impulse purchase.
The other headset in development could be even more intriguing. In January, I reported that Apple had scrapped work on augmented reality glasses that would tether to a Mac. Instead, it’s now working on a Vision Pro that plugs into a Mac. The difference between the two ideas is the level of immersion. The canceled device had transparent lenses; the product still in the works will use the same approach as the Vision Pro.
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The idea is to create an ultra-low-latency system for streaming a user’s Mac display or for connecting to high-end enterprise applications. Some customers have been using the Vision Pro for things like viewing imaging during surgery or for flight simulators. Those are two areas where a user would want the least amount of lag possible—something that can’t be guaranteed by a fully wireless system.
Gurman also claimed earlier that Apple had considered a “chip-and-ship” refresh of the current hardware by swapping the M2 chip for an upcoming Apple M5. Gurman didn’t say when we might expect these two new headsets to launch. A Chinese leaker recently suggested the next Vision Pro is now in mass production, suggesting it could drop sometime later in 2025 or in 2026.
Apple AR glasses are a priority for Tim Cook
Ultimately, the Vision Pro will serve as a crucial stepping stone to Tim Cook’s grand vision, lightweight augmented reality glasses that could be worn all day and overlay data and images onto real-world views. Apple’s boss is reportedly “hell-bent” on beating Meta to true augmented reality spectacles and “cares about nothing else.”
Before technology for true AR glasses is ready, Apple could release an interim product: Non-AR glasses equipped with cameras and microphones for lightweight tasks such as notifications and some Apple Intelligence features like visual intelligence. That apparently involves “adding AI-enabled cameras to the Apple Watch and AirPods over the next couple of years,” Gurman wrote.
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