The Apple Vision Pro hasn't exactly been a roaring success for Apple, but it sounds like the company is still moving forward with a successor. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple could launch the Apple Vision Pro 2 as early as next year -- powered by the still-unannounced M5 chip.
Kuo didn't specify any other details about this next generation Vision Pro, other than the fact it would likely arrive before the cheaper version of the headset. The Vision Pro SE, or whatever it ends up being called, is now reportedly delayed and won't be arriving until "beyond 2027."
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg also confirmed that Apple is planning a "chip upgrade" in the next Vision Pro headset. Gurman also noted that a cheaper headset "with scaled-down technologies" is on the cards, but didn't provide any timelines for either device.
The Apple Vision Pro is certainly an impressive piece of technology, with Tom's Guide Global Editor in Chief Mark Spoonauer calling it "Amazing, immersive and pricey" in our Apple Vision Pro review. After a month Mark also added that the goggles are "entertaining, heavy and a bit lonely" after a month. Unfortunately, the $3,500 price tag has proved to be too much for a lot of people -- which is not at all surprising.
Social media was awash with people returning the headset before Apple's 14 day return window closed. There were plenty of reasons why people seemed to be returning the headsets, but it seems like the price was the biggest one. Essentially, few people could justify spending that much money on what is still a pretty niche product.
Even Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the price means the Vision Pro is a device for early adopters, and "not a mass market product". At the end of October it had been reported that Apple may have to stop producing new Vision Pro headsets in November. Even with various international releases, it seems demand for the mixed reality googles is just that low.
You'd expect that a cheaper version of the headset could provide a sales boost, but that's not really Apple's style. While the lukewarm Vision pro sales figures might make it a little cautious with future models, it seems as though they're not giving up on mixed reality just yet.
In fact Gurman claims that Apple could be considering a set of smart glasses that connects to a user's iPhone. That way all the computing power is done on the phone, and allows the glasses themselves to be much smaller and lighter as a result. Think like an Apple-fied version of the Xreal Air 2 Pro and you'll be on the right track
Smart glasses are nothing new, but it could be a way for Apple to expand its visionOS lineup in a way that's more appealing for mass market consumers. Especially if the glasses are priced as an accessory, rather than an expensive standalone device. Look how well that worked out for the Apple Watch.
Whether those glasses will actually appear anytime soon, or if Apple will stick to Kuo's 2025 release date prediction for Vision Pro 2 isn't entirely clear. So we'll just have to be patient and wait and see how the next 12 months pans out.