Apple Vision Pro 2 Could Launch Sooner Than Anyone Expected
Apple has invested large sums into the Vision Pro project however, so a successor is indeed in the works. This is likely not some type of AR-glasses style device that was reportedly cancelled by Apple, but a full update to the Vision Pro. We've seen mixed messages about a potential Vision Pro 2, with releases as early as this year or possibly next year.
According to a report on ITHome, the Vision Pro 2 is indeed "expected to be released within the year" (via Google Translate). According to the report, several of the second-gen headset's components have entered into mass production.
This would be surprisingly for many since Apple can have relatively long product cycles, as is evident with slower selling machines such as the Mac Pro. If it holds true, it indicates that Apple has not given up on the device and may even have some improvements that it feels may make a newer version for palatable for the market. It is unclear if the current economic situation has recently derailed these plans internally, however.
A new Apple Vision Pro 2 device may not necessarily be the lower-cost alternative with improved ergonomics we've been clamoring for, either. It could literally be an update to the existing Vision Pro 2 with things such as newer Apple Silicon chips or slight hardware tweaks.
The Vision Pro already struggled to cement itself as a mass selling product while the economy was doing relatively well. In 2025, we're facing stringent new tariffs that directly affect Apple and its ecosystem. This may mean that any product it releases will experience a price hike, which is exactly the opposite of what the Vision Pro needed.
If tariffs do affect pricing long term, to some it would also seem an opportune time for Apple to put the Vision Pro project on the back burner until technology improves enough to justify its cost. Shifting economic conditions may also be a large factor, with disposable income likely to be reduced for consumers during the next few periods.
Gaming has been an area that Apple has slowly entered on its iOS and macOS devices, but not heavily on visionOS. Devices such as the Meta Quest 3 flourish because they're heavily invested in the gaming experience, which stands as one of the best use cases for augmented and mixed reality headsets. Workstation only applications seem to be too niche to garner much interest, as show by the Vision Pro's inability to capture that market.
There are some caveats here in favor of the Vision Pro, however. It is truly an interesting technology, and one that Apple believes will eventually overtake traditional computing. They have called this "Spatial Computing," and is the reason for the Vision Pro's name. It is a vision into a future world that perhaps we are not ready for yet. If this bodes true, it would make sense for Apple to at least keep the Vision Pro around as a quasi-developer beta device to continue its development. Whether the report is accurate, though, we'll have to wait and see.
If tariffs do affect pricing long term, to some it would also seem an opportune time for Apple to put the Vision Pro project on the back burner until technology improves enough to justify its cost. Shifting economic conditions may also be a large factor, with disposable income likely to be reduced for consumers during the next few periods.
Gaming has been an area that Apple has slowly entered on its iOS and macOS devices, but not heavily on visionOS. Devices such as the Meta Quest 3 flourish because they're heavily invested in the gaming experience, which stands as one of the best use cases for augmented and mixed reality headsets. Workstation only applications seem to be too niche to garner much interest, as show by the Vision Pro's inability to capture that market.
There are some caveats here in favor of the Vision Pro, however. It is truly an interesting technology, and one that Apple believes will eventually overtake traditional computing. They have called this "Spatial Computing," and is the reason for the Vision Pro's name. It is a vision into a future world that perhaps we are not ready for yet. If this bodes true, it would make sense for Apple to at least keep the Vision Pro around as a quasi-developer beta device to continue its development. Whether the report is accurate, though, we'll have to wait and see.
