Apple’s Vision Pro isn’t doing too well, but the company hasn’t given up on it yet.
A new report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the company is working on a new version of the mixed reality headset, this one with the yet-unreleased M5 chip inside.
Kuo also claims that Apple has delayed production of the rumored, cheaper Vision Pro, to “beyond 2027”.
“This means Apple’s only new head-mounted display device in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an upgraded M5 processor,” wrote Kuo.
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Apple’s current (and only) Vision Pro headset costs $3,499 and, by all accounts, isn’t selling too well. So why delay a cheaper variant?
According to Kuo, Apple’s problem is not so much in its high price, but in the lack of “successful use cases” for the headset.
“Apple’s prices are high across the board vs. competitors, even HomePod mini. That’s another issue—what Apple considers ‘affordable’ for Vision Pro might still be pricey vs. competitors. So it all comes down to whether they can provide successful use cases,” wrote Kuo.
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For the end users, this basically means that there won’t be a new Vision Pro for a while — the original Vision Pro was launched in June 2023, during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, so it makes sense for the company to do the same with the headset’s successor. When it does show up, it will likely have a similar price tag as the current one, placing it outside the budget of many potential buyers.
Kuo didn’t share any further details about the upcoming Vision Pro. In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said that Apple is working on a Vision Pro with an upgraded chip, but shared no other details about it. The company is also “seriously considering” a smart glasses-like wearable device powered by the iPhone, said Gurman.