Apple's Vision for the Future: New Vision Pro Models and AR Glasses to Rival Meta

Apple Reportedly Plans New Vision Pro Models, Prioritizes Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Rival

Samantha Kelly is a freelance writer with a focus on consumer technology, AI, social media, Big Tech, emerging trends and how they impact our everyday lives. Her work has been featured on CNN, NBC, NPR, the BBC, Mashable and more. Apple is reportedly developing two new models of its Vision Pro headset: one that's expected to be lighter and more affordable than the original, and another designed to tether with Macs. Bloomberg reported on Monday that despite sluggish demand, the company remains focused on creating versions of the Vision Pro with broader mainstream appeal. The lower-cost Vision Pro would likely feature a less powerful chip and scaled-back features, bringing the price down significantly from the original $3,500. It's also expected to include an ultra-low-latency system for streaming a user's Mac display, according to the report. And in line with previous reports, Apple is also still working on its own smart glasses equipped with cameras and microphones, similar to Meta's Ray-Ban line. Citing an anonymous Apple engineer, Bloomberg said CEO Tim Cook "cares about nothing else" more than delivering a true pair of AR glasses, calling it a "top priority." But until the technology can be perfected in a way that's comfortable and as wearable as traditional eyewear, Apple sees camera- and mic-enabled glasses as a stepping stone into the space. This builds on earlier reports that Apple intends to channel some of the Vision Pro's billion-dollar R&D investment in visual intelligence into future products, including smart glasses expected to launch in 2027. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In recent years, Apple has often focused on refining buzzy, existing technologies, from mixed-reality headsets to AI features. As it stands, Meta is better positioned to dominate the smart glasses category, particularly as it continues to enhance its hardware, software and growing ecosystem of services. But Cook, according to Bloomberg, is "hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can." The report said the glasses would utilize Siri and Visual Intelligence as part of Apple's broader Apple Intelligence AI platform. In keeping with Apple's overall product strategy, privacy would remain a central focus. Still, the company may face challenges in making the device as indispensable as its other products, particularly the iPhone - and at a price point that's accessible enough to drive mass adoption.

Apple Reportedly Planning New Vision Pro Models, Prioritizing Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Rival

Samantha Kelly is a freelance writer with a focus on consumer technology, AI, social media, Big Tech, emerging trends and how they impact our everyday lives. Her work has been featured on CNN, NBC, NPR, the BBC, Mashable and more. Apple is developing two new models of its Vision Pro headset, according to a report: one that's expected to be lighter and more affordable than the original, and another designed to tether with Macs. Despite sluggish demand, the company remains focused on creating versions of the AR/VR headset with broader mainstream appeal, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The lower-cost Vision Pro will likely have a less powerful chip and scaled-back features, bringing the price down significantly from the original $3,500. It's also expected to include an ultralow-latency system for streaming a Mac display, according to the report. And in line with previous reports, Apple is also still working on its own smart glasses equipped with cameras and microphones, similar to Meta's Ray-Ban line. CEO Tim Cook "cares about nothing else" more than delivering a true pair of AR glasses, calling it a "top priority," Bloomberg said, citing an anonymous Apple engineer. But until the technology can be perfected in a way that's comfortable and as wearable as traditional eyewear, Apple sees camera- and mic-enabled glasses as a stepping stone into the space. This builds on earlier reports that Apple intends to channel some of the Vision Pro's billion-dollar R&D investment in visual intelligence into future products, including smart glasses expected to launch in 2027. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In recent years, Apple has often focused on refining buzzy, existing technologies, from mixed-reality headsets to AI features. As it stands, Meta is better positioned to dominate the smart glasses category, particularly as it continues to enhance its hardware, software and growing ecosystem of services. But Cook, according to Bloomberg, is "hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can." The report said the glasses would use Siri and Visual Intelligence as part of Apple's broader Apple Intelligence AI platform. In keeping with Apple's overall product strategy, privacy would remain a central focus. Still, the company may face challenges in making the device as indispensable as its other products, particularly the iPhone -- and at a price that's accessible enough to drive mass adoption. Eric Abbruzzese, research director at market research firm ABI Research, called Apple's interest in smart glasses a long-term priority. "AR has simply proven more difficult than VR to go to market with devices that balance cost and capability," he said. "AR as a supplement to the smartphone, similar to an Apple Watch, is a very compelling product category that is truthfully only just starting to be served appropriately." Glasses like Meta's Ray-Bans show that people are interested in smart eyewear but building ones with screens still presents a major challenge, Abbruzzese said. At the same time, AR and AI are increasingly intertwined, with companies like Apple, Meta and Google designing products that blend the two. Abbruzzese described the "holy grail" product as mass-market smart glasses -- an affordable, display-enabled wearable that pairs with a smartphone and uses sensors, voice input and AI agents for natural, hands-free interaction. "The relationship between AR and AI is a significant, mutually beneficial relationship where each technology benefits from the other," he said.

Tim Cook is dead set on beating Meta to 'industry-leading' AR glasses: report - 9to5Mac

Tim Cook really wants Apple to make true AR glasses. He "cares about nothing else", according to an Apple engineer. That said, building true AR glasses will take a lot of time. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman though, Apple is developing "its own glasses with cameras and microphones" in the meanwhile, similar to Meta Ray-Bans. Despite this interim product, AR glasses are Tim Cook's "top priority." These glasses would tap heavily into Siri and Visual Intelligence, as part of Apple's AI push. However, Apple has some privacy concerns with allowing the glasses to capture media, something that would differentiate it quite heavily from Meta's offering. Regardless, Gurman's report describes it as an "interim solution" until the company is able to develop true AR glasses. Developing AR glasses still requires a number of technologies to "be perfected." Even if all of the components are up to spec, it still needs to manufacturable at volume: A variety of technologies need to be perfected, including extraordinarily high-resolution displays, a high-performance chip and a tiny battery that could offer hours of power each day. Apple also needs to figure out applications that make such a device as compelling as the iPhone. And all this has to be available in large quantities at a price that won't turn off consumers. Given the fact that Meta has had success in the smart glasses product category, and that AR glasses aren't around the corner, it seems quite likely that Apple will launch some form of smart glasses product in the meanwhile. According to the report, Apple AR glasses are still a top priority for Tim Cook. He is "hell-bent" on creating an "industry-leading product" before Meta, and "cares about nothing else." Meta unveiled its prototype Orion AR glasses last year. Those are still many years away from volume production, and the prototype cost is likely in the tens of thousands. Regardless, competition is fierce - and Tim Cook does not want to lose. It's the "only thing he's really spending his time on," at least in terms of product development.

Tim Cook "Cares About Nothing Else" Than Beating Meta In "Industry-Leading" Smart Glasses, But True AR Glasses Will Require Time And Technologies To "Be Perfected"

We recently reported that Apple is preparing two variants of Vision Pro, one cheaper version for the general public and the other a tethered solution designed for enterprise use. With ambitions at hand, Apple is aiming to win the AR race against Meta, as it is a solid contender in the market that designs products with general use cases. Tim Cook is also set to beat Meta in "industry-leading" AR glasses, which would expand the company's AR product line. A new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims that Apple CEO Tim Cook "cares about nothing else," according to an Apple engineer. However, building AR glasses might take a lot of time, even for a tech giant like Apple. Gurman claims that Apple is working on its own rendition of the smart glasses with AR capabilities, which will be pretty similar to the Meta Ray-Bans, housing cameras, and sensors. While the work is in progress, AR glasses are Tim Cook's "top priority" at this stage, indicating that we might see the wearable sooner than expected. Apple will utilize its Apple Intelligence branch, which will ultimately make the AR glasses a lot more useful than Meta's rendition. However, Apple Intelligence still has time to keep up with the industry, as the company has previously delayed one of the major Personalized Siri features until next year. While the delay was announced officially, we have also heard that the company is ramping up the development of the delayed features, which might be available in the fall of this year. The AR glasses from Apple will be built around Siri and its deeper integration with AI, but the company does have privacy concerns, as the wearable will capture media from one of its cameras. The Cupertino tech giant wants to be different from Meta in this regard and could potentially be working on a workaround that would prevent these privacy concerns. While Tim Cook's "interim solution" will compete against the likes of Meta, the company is also working on true AR glasses, which will require more time and advanced technologies that are yet to "be perfected." A variety of technologies need to be perfected, including extraordinarily high-resolution displays, a high-performance chip and a tiny battery that could offer hours of power each day. Apple also needs to figure out applications that make such a device as compelling as the iPhone. And all this has to be available in large quantities at a price that won't turn off consumers. Apple could launch smart glasses in the near future to better compete against Meta until it sorts out technologies and the cost associated with it to make it easier for the end user. We will notify you when there is an update to the story, so do stick around.

Apple is working on affordable Vision Pro headset and Meta Ray Ban-like glasses

Apple also has been developing Meta Ray Ban-like glasses with cameras and microphones. Apple is planning new versions of its Vision Pro headset, and one of them might be lighter and more affordable. This is according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who shared the details in his latest Power On newsletter. The company seems to be shifting focus towards making its mixed reality tech more accessible to a wider audience. But this is just the beginning. Apple CEO Tim Cook has had a long-term vision in mind for years now. "All of this is a stepping stone toward Cook's grand vision, which hasn't changed in a decade. He wants true augmented reality glasses -- lightweight spectacles that a customer could wear all day. The AR element will overlay data and images onto real-world views," Gurman writes. Also read: Apple iPhones may still cost the same after Donald Trump makes tariff exemptions This project is reportedly a top priority for Cook. "Cook has made this idea a top priority for the company and is hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can. 'Tim cares about nothing else,' says someone with knowledge of the matter. 'It's the only thing he's really spending his time on from a product development standpoint,'" Gurman adds. Also read: iPhone 16 Plus price drops by over 14,900 on Flipkart: How this deal works Meanwhile, Apple is also said to be working on smart devices as a temporary step toward full AR glasses. These would be similar to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, which allow users to take photos, listen to music, and ask questions using Meta AI. Meta has already found success with a new category of non-AR glasses -- ones specifically for taking pictures and AI -- as it moves toward AR spectacles. Likewise, Apple is seeking an interim solution," Gurman says. That solution may involve adding AI-powered cameras to future versions of the Apple Watch and AirPods. Apple also has been developing its own glasses with cameras and microphones, according to the report.