Apple reportedly preparing two new Vision Pro models to address price and performance issues – News

Apple Inc. is seemingly adopting an ethos of “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” amid a report that the company is readying two new Vision Pro headsets to replace its failed first attempt at entering the mixed reality headset market.

Apple analyst Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who is usually fairly accurate about Apple’s plans, today reported that it’s developing two new models, one that will be lighter and more affordable and another designed to connect directly to Macs for ultra-low-latency enterprise applications.

The more affordable model is intended to address two of the most significant criticisms of the original Vision Pro: its $3,500 price tag and its uncomfortable weight. Apple is reportedly focusing on reducing both the cost and the physical burden of the headset, which currently weighs nearly 1.5 pounds and often causes discomfort during extended use.

The cheaper version, in theory, would broaden the product’s appeal to a wider audience while still delivering many of the same immersive features that made the first model interesting from a technical standpoint, even if it did subsequently bomb. As of late 2024, Apple had sold 420,000 of the first model globally, well below the 700,000 and 800,000 expected in the first year. There were also claims that Apple had ceased production on Jan. 1.

The second model in development, according to Gurman, is aimed at professional users and enterprise settings. Unlike the original offering, this model will connect directly to a Mac and will allow for scenarios that demand extremely low latency, such as medical imaging, flight simulation, or other high-performance use cases.

The tethered approach would also allow users to harness the full processing power of their Mac while benefiting from the immersive display capabilities of the headset without the tradeoffs of wireless lag or limited on-board hardware.

Along with the two new headsets, Apple is also said to be developing smart glasses with cameras and microphones, similar to Meta Platform Inc.’s Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses. The glasses are said to be intended to provide users with access to Siri and visual intelligence features, allowing for tasks like audio queries, object recognition and basic contextual awareness.

While exactly when the new Vision Pro models and the smart glasses might be available is speculation at this stage, it’s possible that the Vision Pro models could be announced by the end of this year. The smartglasses could take longer, with some suggesting they may not make a debut until 2027.

Photo: Apple