Apple Roadmap: Cheaper MacBook And A Barrage Of Smart Glasses And Headsets

The skunkworks team at Apple is full steam ahead as the company continues to work towards what it hopes will be able to succeed the iPhone. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that there are currently several products under development, although some hinge on Apple getting its act together with its AI efforts.

Despite the disappointing reception of its Vision Pro headset, Apple doesn’t seem ready to abandon it just yet. The strategy appears to be a two-pronged approach. A pro level device with an M5 chip within the current design that will exist to maintain a presence in the market and allow developers to experiment with XR applications. Alongside it will be the “Vision Air” that will have a new form factor that enables a lighter device, will be powered by an iPhone chip, and will hit a much lower price point for the mass market. The pro device should start production later this year, while the Air version won’t be produced until late in 2027.


Additionally, there will be a completely new design that will be positioned as the second generation of the Vision Pro. It will be sporting a “Mac-grade processor,” and should be lighter than its predecessor, while achieving both of these upgrades at a lower price point. This version isn’t coming any time soon, though, as it’s not likely to hit mass production until the second half of 2028.

While the headsets work in the here and now, smart glasses look to be the future, and Apple doesn’t want to miss out. It’s looking to challenge Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses with a set of its own, with similar functionality and is expected to be released in sometime in 2027. A more robust set of glasses is also being worked on that will look to deliver an XR experience that relies heavily on AI, which reportedly won’t be ready until sometime in 2028.


The company is also looking to make a more affordable MacBook. It’s currently cooking up a model with a 13-inch display that’s powered by an A18 Pro, which is the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. It will be available in a variety of colors similar to the iMac. Apple hopes this will help it reach sales numbers it achieved during the peak of COVID-19.

While it’s a smart move for Apple to be working on these devices, the timelines Kuo is providing gives the impression that the company is playing catch up and might be too late to the party. And let's not forget, since Apple will be relying on fleshing out its AI capabilities, these plans perhaps feel even more tenuous.