Apple Pauses Vision Pro Lite for Smart Glasses Focus
▼ Summary
– Apple is accelerating development of smart glasses to compete with Meta while halting plans for a lighter Vision Pro headset.
– The company is working on two versions: display-less glasses potentially launching in 2027 and display-equipped glasses with accelerated development.
– Apple’s glasses will feature speakers, cameras, multiple styles, and rely heavily on voice interaction and artificial intelligence.
– Apple will enter the market later than Meta, which recently launched new smart glasses with improved battery life and specialized models.
– Apple has reallocated staff from the lighter Vision Pro to focus on glasses and is preparing a modest refresh of the original Vision Pro headset.
Apple is reportedly shifting its strategic focus, accelerating development on a new line of smart glasses while pausing work on a more affordable, lighter version of its Vision Pro headset. According to a recent report, the company is reallocating engineering resources from the scaled-back headset project to fast-track its entry into the smart glasses market, a space currently dominated by competitors like Meta.
The tech giant is said to be developing at least two distinct models of smart glasses. The first iteration, potentially unveiled as early as next year for a 2027 launch, would be a display-less model. A second, more advanced version featuring an integrated display, originally slated for 2028, is now a priority for accelerated development. This display-equipped model is positioned to directly challenge products like the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses.
These new Apple glasses are expected to feature built-in speakers, cameras, and will be offered in a variety of styles. Much like the existing offerings from Meta, the devices will lean heavily on voice commands and artificial intelligence for user interaction. To power this experience, Apple is believed to be designing a custom chip specifically for its eyewear, ensuring optimized performance and efficiency.
This move places Apple as a later entrant in a market where Meta has already established a strong presence. Meta recently unveiled a refreshed lineup, including a second-generation of its Ray-Ban smart glasses with significantly improved battery life, a new athletic-focused model branded with Oakley, and the highly-regarded Ray-Ban Display glasses, which have received positive reviews for their functionality.
Concurrently, plans for a lower-cost Vision Pro headset have been shelved. This product, previously rumored for a 2027 release, has seen its team reassigned to bolster the smart glasses initiative. While production of the original Vision Pro has been scaled back, regulatory filings suggest a new version is still in development. This model is characterized as a “modest refresh” of the current headset and could potentially launch by the end of this year.
(Source: The Verge)
