When the Apple Vision Pro came out last year, one of the major complaints (apart from the huge price tag) was just how uncomfortable it was to wear. The thing weighed 600 to 650 grams, was front-heavy, and users complained about neck strain after just 20 minutes of wearing it.
Apple had advertised the product as a new entry into the world of "spatial computing" back at WWDC 2023, with Tim Cook saying, "Just as the Mac introduced personal computing, and iPhone introduced mobile computing, Vision Pro introduces spatial computing."
Now, Bloomberg reports that an updated version is in the works, with an M4 processor, up from the M2 chip the original launched with, and a better strap. This new version is rumored to launch later this year, though timing may change.
As for the weight issue, there"s no indication that the upcoming version will remedy it. That"s something planned for the tentative 2027 version, which will "significantly reduce" the weight of the headset and possibly offer better performance with more Neural Engine cores than the 16 that power the current Vision Pro.
According to Bloomberg"s Mark Gurman, it is unlikely that the new mixed reality headset will catch on with general consumers, but Apple is at least hoping that it will appeal to developers, who in turn will develop apps for the platform.
Gurman also believes that the Cupertino tech giant is using the updated Vision Pro to stall until the cheaper model (codenamed N100) becomes available sometime around 2027. This N100 model will reportedly be 40% lighter, thanks to a plastic casing. Features from the mainline Vision Pro, like EyeSight, are also expected to be removed, and we could also get lower resolution displays.
We don"t know what Apple will call it. Probably something like "Vision Air." But don"t expect the same level of performance as the M-series Vision Pros, because "Vision Air" will probably be sporting an A-series, iPhone-class chipset.
On a related note, Apple is reportedly working on a much more affordable MacBook, powered by the A18 Pro chip, the same one found in the iPhone 16 Pro. This cheaper Mac will probably start at around $699 to $899.