Rumor mill: Apple isn't giving up on its mixed-reality-headset endeavors. The Vision Pro might not have been a resounding success, but Cupertino is rumored to be releasing a version in 2027 – not the Vision Pro 2 – that addresses the original's biggest issues: the price and its weight.
It's believed that Apple will launch the Vision Pro 2 headset later this year. Powered by the upcoming M5 SoC and featuring a more comfortable redesigned head strap, the device is expected to maintain the monstrous $3,500 price of its predecessor and could be around the same weight or slightly lighter.
Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman predict that Apple will release another mixed-reality headset in 2027: the Vision Air. Like Apple's other Air devices, this one will focus on being smaller and lighter.
Apple releases Apple vision pro ... resulting in rise of Appleholes
– Darth Intra (@darthintra) February 4, 2024
Driver using apple vision pro while driving getting pulled over by police. People using them in public.....Appleholes... pic.twitter.com/GcyM1fmj9K
According to Kuo, the Vision Air will be over 40% lighter than the current model. With the Pro weighing in at 1.4 pounds (600g), that would make the Vision Air around 0.8 to 0.9 pounds – lighter than the Meta Quest 3.
The analyst also predicts that Apple will alter the Pro's restrictive price tag. The Air is said to be more than 50% cheaper, likely putting it between $1,499 and $1,799, which is still expensive for a MR headset, admittedly.
A 50% cost reduction for the Vision Air will inevitably bring some compromises. The headset may, for example, feature fewer cameras and a lower resolution compared to the Pro model.
The muted response to the Vision Pro saw Apple cut its annual shipments forecast in half last year, down to around 400,000 units. The number of in-store demo bookings fell off a cliff quickly after launch, and there were even reports that Vision Pro suppliers stopped manufacturing components for the headset in May 2024, just three months after it arrived.
Earlier this year, there were reports of Vision Pro buyers expressing their regrets at spending $3,500 on something that was gathering dust – several complained that it was just too heavy to use regularly or for long periods.
Kuo writes that the cheaper, lighter Vision Air will prove more popular, with shipments reaching one million – more than double that of the Vision Pro.
Apple's Awe Dropping event takes place on September 9 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST. The iPhone 17 will be the star of the show, with the iPhone 17 Air expected to be shown off alongside the other models. Whether the Vision Pro 2 will be there remains to be seen.
Image credit: Bram Van Oost