Apple Pushes Vision Pro 2 to 2028, Betting on Glasses and AI Devices

Apple has delayed the successor to the Vision Pro until 2028 or later. The company has moved most of its AR team to smart glasses and wearable AI devices, a sign of a strategic shift. The current Vision Pro costs $3499 but remains a niche product.

AI-processed from 3DNews AI; edited by Hamidun News
Apple Pushes Vision Pro 2 to 2028, Betting on Glasses and AI Devices
Source: 3DNews AI. Collage: Hamidun News.
Listen to article
Article Fact Sheet & Key Figures
ParameterDetails
Primary source3DNews AI ↗
Editor-in-Chief
Smart AR glasseslightweight glasses with an information layer. Not a headset, but glasses meant to be worn throughout the day
Wearable AI devicescompact bracelets or chips for voice interaction and a personal assistant
Ecosystem integrationglasses and AI devices as an extension of the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac

Apple has delayed the next-generation Vision Pro by at least two years: the successor will arrive no earlier than 2028. At the same time, the company is changing course sharply, moving most of its AR team to smart glasses and compact wearable AI devices. The move redirects Apple's entire wearables strategy.

Why the Vision Pro Fell Short

The Vision Pro costs $3499, the price of a premium smartphone, for a device people wear a few hours a week. Despite Apple's marketing, the headset did not become a mass-market product in its first year. Demand turned out to be considerably more modest than the company expected.

Apple ran into a harsh reality: the market for expensive mixed-reality headsets simply isn't ready. A company accustomed to abandoning failed projects chose not to pour money into costly refinements. Instead, it is rethinking the whole approach.

Moving top engineers out of the AR division is more than a staffing reshuffle. It is a strategic decision to put resources into form factors that could realistically reach a mass audience.

The New Bet: Glasses and AI Assistants

Apple is focusing on two directions that are potentially more promising:

  • Smart AR glasses: lightweight glasses with an information layer. Not a headset, but glasses meant to be worn throughout the day
  • Wearable AI devices: compact bracelets or chips for voice interaction and a personal assistant
  • Ecosystem integration: glasses and AI devices as an extension of the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac
  • Affordable pricing: a target range of $500–$1500, not $3500

This strategy is more down-to-earth but more practical: people need information throughout the day, not hours of immersion in virtual reality.

A Signal of Reassessment

Apple has not officially confirmed the team transfer, but such reorientations are a telling signal. History shows the company knows how to wind down failed projects: the iPod gave way to the iPhone, the iPhone still dominates, and the Apple Watch found its niche. The Vision Pro was a costly experiment from which the company is drawing lessons.

For the whole industry, the message is: don't get stuck in the trap of expensive devices when the market is asking for something simpler.

What This Means

Apple is admitting it rushed the Vision Pro. The next wave will be practical, affordable AR glasses and AI assistants. That shifts the entire wearables industry from a race for impressive, expensive headsets to a search for meaning in cheap, useful everyday devices.

Story

Key Questions Answered

Why the Vision Pro Fell Short?

The Vision Pro costs $3499, the price of a premium smartphone, for a device people wear a few hours a week. Despite Apple's marketing, the headset did not become a mass-market product in its first year. Demand turned out to be considerably more modest than the company expected. Apple ran into a harsh reality: the market for expensive mixed-reality headsets simply isn't ready. A company accustomed to abandoning failed projects chose not to pour money into costly refinements. Instead, it is rethinking the whole approach. Moving top engineers out of the AR division is more tha

What are the key details on The New Bet: Glasses and AI Assistants?

Apple is focusing on two directions that are potentially more promising: Smart AR glasses: lightweight glasses with an information layer. Not a headset, but glasses meant to be worn throughout the day Wearable AI devices: compact bracelets or chips for voice interaction and a personal assistant Ecosystem integration: glasses and AI devices as an extension of the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac Affordable pricing: a target range of $500–$1500, not $3500 This strategy is more down-to-earth but more practical: people need information throughout the day, not hours of immersion in v

What are the key details on A Signal of Reassessment?

Apple has not officially confirmed the team transfer, but such reorientations are a telling signal. History shows the company knows how to wind down failed projects: the iPod gave way to the iPhone, the iPhone still dominates, and the Apple Watch found its niche. The Vision Pro was a costly experiment from which the company is drawing lessons. For the whole industry, the message is: don't get stuck in the trap of expensive devices when the market is asking for something simpler.

ZK
Zhemal Khamidun — CPO at Alpina Digital, product manager of AlpinaGPT. Building AI products since 2019. Hamidun News is a pet project that grew into a production aggregator with 6,000+ readers.
✦ Unified AI Workspace · Nomad

Test Frontier LLMs & Autonomous Agents in One Workspace

Run Claude Opus 5.5, GPT-6, Gemini 3.1, and DeepSeek side-by-side in Nomad AI (nomadnet.ai) — unified model routing, deep research, and multimodal workflows under one subscription.

Try Nomad AI →Launch Nomad Agent
What do you think?
Loading comments…