Apple Vision Pro 2 rumour round-up

Initial rumours for a second-generation Vision Pro hinted at a significant spec bump, perhaps leaping from an M2 to an M5 chip, with a launch timeline around late 2025 to early 2026. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now suggests Apple is taking a different tack. Rather than a direct, more powerful standalone successor, the company is reportedly developing a Vision Pro designed primarily as a Mac companion.

This new approach focuses on creating an ultra-low-latency system optimized for streaming a user’s Mac display or connecting to high-end enterprise applications. This concept echoes Apple’s past work on now-cancelled augmented reality (AR) glasses that would pair with a Mac. Gurman notes that current high-end Vision Pro use cases include flight simulations and surgical overlays, indicating Apple’s intent to further penetrate these specialized markets with a dedicated, high-performance, tethered headset.

Rumours of a more affordable Vision Pro have circulated since before the original’s launch, often dubbed “Vision Air,” aiming to reduce both weight and price. More recent reports, corroborated by Gurman, confirm that Apple is indeed working on such a device. While details on how Apple will achieve significant cost and weight reductions are scarce, addressing neck strain issues is reportedly a key objective.

Intriguingly, it appears this “Vision Air” product might actually serve as the direct successor to the current Vision Pro, potentially launching in late 2025 to early 2026. This implies that a more robust, enterprise-focused Vision Pro replacement, as described above, would follow later.

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While full-fledged AR glasses might not be immediately on the horizon, Apple CEO Tim Cook is reportedly “hell-bent” on beating Meta to launching an industry-leading pair. In the interim, Apple is said to be working on a pair of smart glasses – akin to Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, but with an Apple twist. These lightweight glasses would feature cameras, speakers, and microphones but no integrated displays, making them ideal for seamless AI interaction. According to Gurman, such a product could launch as early as 2026.

Apple’s strategy seems to be diversifying its spatial computing offerings, aiming to address different market segments from high-end enterprise to mainstream consumer with a range of devices tailored to specific user experiences.