Apple 'Vision Air' Headset Rumored to Feature Thinner, Lighter Design With 'Midnight' Finish

[MacRumors]

An all new Apple "Vision Air" headset featuring a thinner, lighter design and a "Midnight" blue finish is in the works, according to the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami."

In a new post on X, the leaker explained that the "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of the exterior of the device will continue to be aluminum, except with a "Midnight" bluish-black finish. Today's Vision Pro is only available in silver.

The leaker also recently shared a series of images of a new, Lightning-style connector in Midnight purportedly for the next-generation Vision device.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1911069453170999702

The Vision Pro uses a similar connector, except with 12 pins instead of eight, suggesting that the new cable is part of a more substantial redesign.

Apple is expected to release a second-generation Vision Pro headset with the M5 chip between fall 2025 and spring 2026, but the company's work on a lower-cost headset is widely rumored. The latter could be the "Vision Air" device Kosutami is today referring to.

Kosutami has a mixed track record for Apple rumors, but they were the first to say that Apple would replace its leather Modern Buckle band with a FineWoven version in 2023. They also went on to provide the first real-world images of the FineWoven Apple Watch bands prior to their official unveiling, the new Thunderbolt 4 cable released alongside the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro's improved thermal design and redesigned battery, and more.

Article Link: Apple 'Vision Air' Headset Rumored to Feature Thinner, Lighter Design With 'Midnight' Finish

 

[sniffies]

I would actually pay extra for my headset to be lighter.

So, no complaints here.

 

[klasma]

What the leaker actually says is that it'll be "iPhone 5-era black- which looks like graphite dark blue".

In any case, a dark finish will make it visually heavier than a light finish; a slightly strange choice.

 

[dreamerstree]

Is the price lighter, too?

 

[Macalway]

Watchband leaker is moving up!

I'm not buying it (rumors wise).

 

[mozumder]

Excited. Using Vision Pro as my main display for work coding, including RIGHT NOW. Anyone that hasn't tried the latest version is missing out.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Commit to tons of content and go out of your way on developer support.

Price and features aren't going to substantively matter if there isn't a ton of support to get the platform going.

This is essentially the iPad Pro / iPadOS / Support / Software conundrum all over again if Apple doesn't approach this differently. It's actually even a bit worse, as this is a new platform and hardware form factor with more niche interest (vs a tablet).

 

[klasma]

Is the price lighter, too?

The wallet will definitely be.

 

[DMG35]

If it's thinner and lighter I'm all in. I love the Vision Pro but had to return it. It was literally crushing my face when I wore it and it just wasn't worth the misery of wearing it for how awesome it is.

 

[ceddy]

The price needs to come down...way down.

 

[cdsapplefan]

Watchband leaker is moving up!

I'm not buying it (rumors wise).

It’s a Niche product and would be great for movies and gaming and other real world application once a killer app is created. I demo’d it and the product has great potential. It’s just a lil too ahead of it’s time for computing. I wouldn’t need this product for computing.

 

[syklee26]

You are telling me air is going to be more expensive than pro?

 

[d4cloo]

Having an external battery idiotic to begin with.

 

[JonathanLevine]

Why can’t they just make it a neutral-toned black color? I hate the midnight and starlight finishes.

 

[mcfrazieriv]

Oh look. Apple innovating by creating yet another cable for your collection.

 

[bigboy29]

They will make it darker... so it will be more of a fingerprint magnet?

This whole thing is an elaborate conspiracy to sell more polishing cloths.

 

[Aeronauts]

They should concentrate on perfecting the current model before moving onto more variants which will inevitably divide resources.

 

[IIGS User]

Work on bringing the price point down.

Sure, this is a chicken and egg issue with the Vision Pro, but it’s just too damn expensive.

It has to be in “Ok, I’ll buy it because it has potential and it’s something I can lay out money for” and not in “this thing better be waterproof because the cost makes my eyes water” territory.

It’s just to expensive to garner mass appeal. And until it does, no one is going to put the effort into doing any real development for it.

 

[zubikov]

If there’s no incentive to develop for the VisionOS, and Apple puts immediate profitability ahead of everything else…this is DOA.

The number one question, to this day, is…”what can you do with it?”

There are no killer apps, there’s no next gen content using this platform to share with the world. It’s extremely capable hardware released by the most short-sighted managers without a “Vision” for the future.

 

[awshucks]

Whatever happened to "unapologetically plastic" instead of aluminum or titanium?

 

[Aeronauts]

Excited. Using Vision Pro as my main display for work coding, including RIGHT NOW. Anyone that hasn't tried the latest version is missing out.

Just out interest how do you overcome the problems such a short 2 hour battery life, eye strain and using a virtual keyboard to type your coding?

 

[dannyyankou]

Make it half the price and I might consider it.

 

[winxmac]

Vision Air
Vision Pro

MacBook Air
MacBook Pro

iPad
iPad Air
iPad Pro

iPhone
iPhone Air
iPhone Pro

Pro Max needs to go as well as the base release.

 

[GUNSTAR1]

I would buy an AVP or Air if the price was just lower. that's the only thing holding me back at this point.

 

[JOLoughlin]

Not sure titanium will make it cheaper. Also I think people over estimate how much the aluminum frame contributes to weight. Vision Pro is just a dense product. The problem is more weight distribution on the head and face. Plus it’s partly aluminum instead of plastic not only for aesthetics but for its structural rigidity and heat dissipation properties for the 2 very bright 4K microOLEDs that can reach 2–5,000 nits brightness (much of that is lost when transmitting through the pancake lenses) and two SoCs.