Apple is said to be prioritising work on its smart glasses at the cost of progress towards a lighter, cheaper version of the Vision Pro, according to a Bloomberg report from the usually-correct Mark Gurman.
The Cupertino-based company is apparently working on “at least two” models of smart glasses, including one version with a built-in display and one without. The displayless model could be announced as soon as next year and launched in 2027.
The version featuring a display was originally planned for 2028, but the Big Fruit Company is looking to speed things up before Meta Platforms eats the entire smart glasses market.
Apple hits pause on cheaper Vision Pro
Like already available smart glasses, Apple’s smart spectacles will feature built-in speakers, a camera or two, and “will rely heavily on voice interaction and artificial intelligence,” writes Gurman. Apple is likely aiming for its display-capable glasses to rival the recently released Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. Apple is also working on another dedicated chip for its smart glasses, per a previous Bloomberg report.
With Meta already on its second generation of smart glasses and having recently introduced a new Oakley-branded set of glasses aimed at athletes coming soon, Apple finds itself playing catch-up yet again.
Read More: Meta’s Ray-Ban Display, Oakley Meta Vanguard launch alongside updated Ray-Ban Meta glasses
Whether prioritising its unreleased smart glasses over a Vision Pro refresh is the right move remains to be seen. The thunderous applause Apple was hoping for when it launched its first ‘spatial computing’ device was muted by the exorbitant $3,500 launch price.
Regardless, the company isn’t shelving the new Vision Pro completely; new regulatory filings were spotted earlier this week for what appears to be a refreshed model. We might see the first glimpse of that as early as the beginning of next year. We might, but we doubt it.
