• News

Apple is reportedly weighing four concepts for the next Vision Pro.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The future of the Apple Vision Pro headset is reportedly in flux, with no internal agreement on the design of possible future models. In fact, a successor to the pricey mixed-reality headset might never see the light of day.

Fans have wanted a lighter, more comfortable Vision Pro since launch. But Apple is said to be weighing four very different concepts for the headset’s sequel — and a release isn’t guaranteed.

Apple weighs four options for the Vision Pro

Apple launched the Vision Pro in 2024 as its first major new product category in years. The headset combines high-resolution displays, eye and hand tracking, and spatial audio to create what Apple calls “spatial computing.” But its $3,499 starting price (since upped to $3,699), along with its weight, greatly limited its appeal compared to more affordable VR headsets.

On Sunday, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote that Apple is working on completely overhauling the headset. This project is code-named N224 but, in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says it’s on “life support” and might never ship.

As for the concepts, engineers are exploring one where the computing hardware and battery would be in a separate puck. That’s the same approach Meta took with its new VR glasses. The current Vision Pro already uses an external battery pack. But some inside Apple reportedly dislike the puck idea and want an integrated design.

The second idea involves keeping the current Vision Pro’s egg-shaped body. Apple is reportedly testing plastic, titanium and other metals to make it lighter.

The fact that there’s no agreement about even the basic layout of the product doesn’t bode well for its future.

Gurman also pointed to a management shake-up affecting Vision Pro development. Previously, the Vision team directly reported to John Ternus. But now that he’s CEO, the group sits one layer further from the top, with Johny Srouji as Apple’s chief hardware officer.

Apple smart glasses could be out first

If N224 survives, Gurman says it would come sometime between late 2028 and early 2029 as a successor to the current M5 Vision Pro. But unlike the N100, the light Vision Air Apple reportedly shelved last year, N224 might not target a lower price.

• See also: The M5 Vision Pro is the ultimate entertainment device [Review]

Chances are, Apple’s rumored smart glasses will show up first. The company reportedly aims to release a pair by the end of 2027 as a more practical alternative to the Vision Pro.

Reports say Apple is working on lightweight glasses that could connect to an iPhone and use cameras, microphones and speakers to provide AI-powered features without putting a display in front of each eye.

Ternus praises the headset but makes no promises

Apple’s new CEO praised the Vision Pro in a recent interview with French TV show Clique TV. When asked if the headset was a failure, he pointed to early adopters and surgeons who use it.

Ternus said the headset is in “the early days of a long journey,” but refused to comment on whether Apple will keep developing it.

Vision Pro is/isn’t canceled

Anyone closely following the reports on Apple’s plans for future Vision Pro products might be frustrated that despite some reports that the device has been canceled, others say development continues.  

Gurman addressed this Sunday in a post on the social media service Threads, saying, “I realize this is a little nuanced for social media discussion, but there has been a lot of internal back-and-forth on this topic over the two years or [so], in part due to executive changes and reassessments of the long-term value of the changing XR market, in part due to development issues… I accurately report what I hear when I hear it, even if it doesn’t neatly fit someone else’s narrative or expectations.”