Apple is developing two new Vision Pro headset models, one making the headset lighter and cheaper, and another that tethers to a Mac for low-latency applications, Bloomberg reported.
The news service also said Apple is developing an update to iPadOS, version 19, that makes the tablets more like Mac computers.
Apple launched Vision Pro in the US in February 2024 for $3,500 (£2,654), with later launches in Europe and elsewhere, and reportedly made sharp cuts to production in October amidst slow sales of the expensive unit.
Headset plans
The Vision Pro’s price is nearly seven times that of its closest rival, Meta’s Quest.
While praised as a technological marvel, one of the unit’s drawbacks is that it is relatively heavy, at nearly 1.5 pounds, leading many people to use third-party straps to avoid strain on the neck and head over long periods of use.
One of the two planned new models seeks to address both issues with a lower cost and a lighter weight, Bloomberg’s report said.
The other unit can plug into a Mac, creating a low-latency link for streaming the computer’s display or linking to high-performance enterprise applications such as viewing imaging during surgery or flight simulators, the report said.
This second unit reportedly displaced a cancelled project to develop augmented-reality glasses.
While the cancelled glasses would have had transparent lenses overlaid with generated imagery, the planned device uses the same approach as the existing Vision Pro, providing a display that can show imagery from the user’s surroundings via integrated cameras.
The report said Apple chief executive Tim Cook has continued to focus on his long-term goal of lightweight immersive spectacles that a user can wear all day, and has made these a top priority for Apple, the report said.
iPadOS update
“Tim cares about nothing else,” the report quoted an unnamed person as saying.
In March Apple reportedly reassigned the head of the Vision Pro unit, Mike Rockwell, to take over development of its Siri voice assistant in an effort to boost Siri’s AI capabilities.
In so doing it also dissolved the stand-alone Vision Pro unit, which was unique in having its own hardware, software, services and product management teams, with those teams being reintegrated across Apple.
Going forward the Vision Pro will be developed similar to other products, such as the iPhone or iPad, with development spread out across multiple teams, Bloomberg’s report said.
As well as the Quest headset, Meta also makes AI-powered smart glasses that can take pictures and enable voice conversations with its Meta AI chatbot.
The upcoming iPadOS software, with more Mac-like features, is likely to be a main topic of discussion at Apple’s upcoming World Wide Developer Conference from 9 to 13 June, with the update focusing on productivity, Bloomberg said.
