GoKawiilIf you've got a Vision Pro headset, you're set for now. If you want the next model, you'll have to wait, possibly two years or more.
Bloomberg managing editor Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter that he doesn't expect the next Vision Pro edition until 2028 at the earliest. Gurman believes that, even though the next iteration of the headset is years away, Apple will continue customer support of the existing model.
Gurman said that Apple is focusing on developing an AI pendant and camera-equipped AirPods, which are reportedly in prototype testing. Apple's Vision Products Group is also working toward creating augmented reality glasses.
A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset with augmented reality and virtual reality capabilities. When you wear it, you can use apps for work, tasks and entertainment while also viewing the real world around you -- so you might walk around your house, interact with friends or family and watch a movie in the headset at the same time. You'll see the movie at the top of your view and the real world elsewhere in your vision.
You can also use the Vision Pro for virtual reality experiences, where you don't see the real world at all, but instead a digital environment. That could be a game, swimming with sharks, walking on the moon or anything else imaginable.
The Vision Pro's main competitors include Meta's Quest 3 and 3S and HTC's Vive Focus Vision. Grand View Research expects the market to grow at an annual rate of nearly 30% globally until 2030, driven not only by entertainment and gaming, but also by workplace applications such as employee training, 3D manufacturing and industrial repairs.
The Vision Pro is "an incredible piece of tech," says tech tester Austin Evans, who has nearly 6 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. But he's not sure the device will have a permanent place in Apple's product lineup.
"It's still a VR headset and I remain unconvinced that the design will ever really be comfortable enough for long-term use," Evans told CNET. "I worry that the Vision Pro will just see a few years of software updates before they wind it down or move it to being focused on commercial. But I'd like to think the tech itself will trickle down to a pair of AR glasses eventually."
... continue reading