Apple is working on two newer versions of its Vision Pro headset. According to the report, the other is lighter and more affordable than the original, while the other is designed to use a Mac. Despite the low demand for current AR/VR headsets, Apple is focusing on creating versions of devices with a wider mainstream appeal. It has been reported this week.
The new low-cost Vision Pro, which is being developed, probably has a less powerful chip and scaling back feature, significantly reducing the price from the original $3,500. It is also expected to include an ultra-low latency system for streaming Mac displays, according to the report.
Apple also reportedly works on its own smart glasses with cameras and microphones, similar to the Meta Ray-Ban line.
Bloomberg said that besides delivering true AR glasses, citing an anonymous Apple engineer, “is his number one priority,” CEO Tim Cook said, “he doesn’t care anything else.” But until technology is comfortable and ready in just as wearable as traditional eyewear, Apple sees camera and microphone-enabled glasses as space treadmills.
This is based on previous reports that Apple is planning to lead a portion of Vision Pro’s $1 billion R&D investment in visual intelligence into future products, including smart glasses scheduled for release in 2027.
Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In recent years, Apple has often focused on purifying existing technologies, from mixed reality headsets to AI capabilities. As it stands, meta continues to strengthen its ecosystem of hardware, software and growing services, making it a good choice to dominate the smart glasses category. But according to Bloomberg, Cook “beats hell to create industry-leading products before the meta is made.”
The report said the glasses will use Siri and visual intelligence as part of Apple’s wider Apple Intelligence AI platform. Privacy remains a central focus, in line with Apple’s overall product strategy.
Still, the company could face challenges in making devices as essential as other products, especially the iPhone.
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Long-term priorities
Eric Abbruzzese, research director at market research firm ABI Research, called Apple’s interest in Smart Glasses a long-term priority.
“AR simply proves that it’s harder to get to the market than VR, using devices that balance cost and capabilities,” he said. “Like the Apple Watch, AR as a smartphone supplement is a very attractive product category and is just beginning to be honestly and properly delivered.”
Glasses like Meta’s Ray-Ban show people are interested in smart eyewear, but building something with a screen still presents a major challenge, Abbruzzese said. At the same time, AR and AI are becoming increasingly intertwined, with companies such as Apple, Meta and Google design products blending the two. Abbruzzese described the “Holy Grail” product as mass market smart glasses. It is an affordable, display-enabled wearable paired with a smartphone and uses sensors, voice input and AI agents for natural, hands-free interactions.
“The relationship between AR and AI is an important mutually beneficial relationship in which each technology benefits from other technologies,” he said.
