If you are waiting for a brand new virtual reality headset from Apple, you might have to keep waiting for quite a while. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the company is not planning to release a successor to its current model for at least another two years. While it has not completely given up on the mixed reality space, the tech giant is shifting its main focus toward other wearable gadgets right now.
The company shifts focus toward smart glasses and artificial intelligence
The original Vision Pro got a minor update with an M5 chip late last year, but major changes are a long way off. Behind the scenes, the company still wants to create a lighter and cheaper headset eventually. However, there is no active development happening right now, and the rumored cheaper model was canceled.
Instead, the hardware team is putting its energy into lightweight smart glasses. Workers who used to build the main headset are now helping out with these new glasses and improving artificial intelligence features. It is also exploring ideas like earbuds with cameras and smart pendants.
A difficult retail launch changed how the company approaches hardware
The headset faced a lot of challenges when it first hit store shelves. A recent book points out that years of cuts to the retail team made it hard to sell the expensive device properly to everyday buyers. Because of these struggles, it makes sense that the company is taking a step back.
By waiting a few years, it can wait for parts to get cheaper and lighter before trying again. For now, anyone who wants to try out spatial computing will have to stick with the current model on the market.
