I will definitely buy the next Apple Vision Pro
I was reluctant to buy the Apple Vision Pro. If the rumors about Apple Vision Pro 2 are true, I'll go for the successor.
To be honest, Apple Vision Pro is far too expensive for what it does. And as an early adopter and XR enthusiast, I know all too well that it's better to wait for the second generation of a new product category.
My first Oculus Quest was an ill-fated purchase, as were the Ray-Ban Stories, the forgotten predecessor to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. The successors were so, so much better, and I think the same will be true for the Apple Vision Pro 2.
The company has yet to announce a successor, but the latest report from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims to reveal new details about it, as well as other plans in that direction. And they sound very promising.
Two new headsets planned
Gurman reports that Apple is working on two new Vision Pro-style headsets.
The first project is a direct successor with an M5 chip, and Apple is aiming to make it both lighter and cheaper, addressing the two main points of criticism. The current Apple Vision Pro uses an M2 chip, which was already outdated when the mixed reality headset was introduced.
Gurman does not say how much the new device will weigh, how much it will cost, or when it will be released.
The second new Vision Pro-style headset reportedly plugs directly into a Mac to display virtual monitors with minimal latency. The current Vision Pro also offers such a virtual display for Macs. However, the new headset would transmit the image via a cable rather than wirelessly to the device, which should allow for lower latency.
Apple is in danger of losing the race
Tim Cook's longer-term vision is still everyday AR glasses, Gurman writes. Apple's CEO has made the idea a top priority for the company and is determined to bring an industry-leading product to market before Meta does.
"Tim cares about nothing else," says one of Gurman's sources. "It’s the only thing he’s really spending his time on from a product development standpoint."
With the technological road to AR glasses still a long one, Apple is looking for an interim solution similar to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Gurman writes that Apple is working on its own AI glasses with cameras and microphones, as well as an Apple Watch and AirPods with AI-enabled cameras.
My assessment is that Apple is way behind Meta.
Meta has been gaining market experience with smart glasses since 2021 and will reportedly add two new products in this category later this year. The launch of the first commercial AR glasses is reportedly planned for 2027. They won't come out of nowhere. The Orion product prototype, unveiled last fall, is a marvel of technology nearly a decade in the making, and is based on proprietary chips, displays, and input methods built my Meta.
The presentation of this prototype may have made Tim Cook believe in the AR vision again, which was Meta's plan all along.
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