Gurman: No Apple Vision Pro 2 Launch Planned Before End of 2026

[klasma]

Beat me to it. Surely that front screen with the spooky eyes is expensive, battery draining and expensive? That alone sounds like an easy win to me.

I doubt it's more than $200. It also doesn’t use a lot of battery, because it's dim and doesn't need a high refresh rate. And batteries in that capacity range are cheap.

Merely getting the price down to $3000 wouldn't change a lot. For a lower-cost (non-Pro) model, it needs to be in the low $2000s, or better significantly sub-$2000.

 

[tomtad]

Between iPad 1 and 2 (a far cheaper and better established product at launch) there was one year (more or less)

So either Apple completely lost the plot or this rumour doesn't make any sense. While AVP may iterate a bit slower than iPad (it seems a more complex product) I would go with the latter in this case.

Apple have completely lost the plot

 

[1984]

If it were to cost $999
It would be loved by 99% of the people using it.

or more people would’ve bought it and more people would’ve been disappointed in it.

 

[tubular]

For the last couple of years I've been thinking that the initial release will do badly, and that it's the second round that'll matter. The sooner Apple iterates on Vision Pro, the sooner they have the revolutionary product they're aiming for. Or the sooner they realize it's a dead end. Right now, it's precarious enough a proposition that I can see software houses being reluctant to bet the server farm on it. That is, the current version is not a big enough market to spur an ecosystem. That either starts to happen with the next version or it doesn't happen at all.

 

[Mr_Ed]

They need more people adopting this tech, so there are more apps available. I think the price was a wrong move, even though I know it was expensive to develop.

I think the number of apps is only part of the adoption issue. Lots of apps that are essentially floating 2D windows don’t exactly convey any compelling increased productivity on the part of “spatial computing” over existing tools. Pointing this out is usually met with accusations of “lack of imagination”, but it looks to me like Apple themselves lack the imagination necessary to show how compelling spatial computing is.

 

[klasma]

Between iPad 1 and 2 (a far cheaper and better established product at launch) there was one year (more or less)

So either Apple completely lost the plot or this rumour doesn't make any sense. While AVP may iterate a bit slower than iPad (it seems a more complex product) I would go with the latter in this case.

The iPad 1 sold more than a million units per month throughout its first year. The AVP isn’t in the same class of product launch and instant success.

 

[krspkbl]

It's bizarre they launched Vision Pro when I assume they will want to make a Vision SE, standard Vision, Vision Pro, and Vision Pro Max/Ultra.

They could have released the headset at a lower price while still making a profit but they are too greedy and/or desperate to claw money back from years of R&D. It didn't need to have the front screen that could've been kept for Vision Pro (if it released later) and Vision Pro Max. Just like they do with iPhone they could've made it an exclusive feature for Pro models.

It could have been a plastic build and I'm sure there are other things they could keep for higher end models later on.

Also, does it really need an M2 ? They could've probably used an A series chip. Again...keeping M series for Pro models.

The inner displays could probably have been lower resolution and non OLED. Repeating myself here but could be exclusive to higher end models.

Really they should've started off with a basic budget model. That's my point lol. They could've refined on that initial design for a few years then introduced the SE and Pro. Then later the Pro Max/Ultra.

 

[timber]

The iPad 1 sold more than a million units per month throughout its first year. The AVP isn’t in the same class of product launch and instant success.

It's not a question of if it is successful or not. Apple could decide that all this AVP matter was a mistake and decide to cut its losses. That is certainly a possibility.
But if they do decide to soldier on I really doubt they wait almost until 2027 to launch anything.

 

[ascender]

Makes sense surely? Unlike some other first-gen products, this one doesn't feel like it's crippled with slow hardware. At the moment it seems to need to find out exactly what its going to be good at and who its for which is what we all expected.

It's good to see Apple doing something different, but this was never going to be a massive sales success in its first iteration.

 

[klasma]

It's not a question of if it is successful or not. Apple could decide that all this AVP matter was a mistake and decide to cut its losses. That is certainly a possibility.
But if they do decide to soldier on I really doubt they wait almost until 2027 to launch anything.

Well, they decided to "soldier on" with the HomePod, and look how long it took.

 

[nfl46]

Lol. I’m still convinced I am the only AVP on here that completely loves mine. Oh well, it brings me joy everyday.

 

[Reason077]

Ok, so no Apple Vision Pro 2. But surely there’s a standard “Apple Vision” on its way. And perhaps a lightweight Apple Vision Air? A chunky, cyberpunk-style Apple Vision Max? And eventually, maybe even a low-cost Apple Vision SE!

 

[VPsmith]

Screw the cost.

Apple make this thing half the weight, faster performance, double battery, better field of view, smaller sized, better pass through cameras.

Basically make this 3x as good in every aspect and I’m willing to pay you twice as much.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Refinement takes time, folks. The iPad was relatively simple and the jump from iPad 1 to 2 was significant.

This was always a VERY niche product aimed SQUARELY at early adopters only.

But the groundwork has been laid: everybody that used it was blown away by it in some way.

The hardware will improve, it'll get more apps, etc. It's relatively downhill from here. Shipping V.1 is the hardest obstacle.

 

[Rychiar]

They can lose the aluminium shell as well. It's too heavy and unnecessary. Replace that with plastic and you've saved on costs and weight.

Then how are you cooling it? Cus that’s why it is what it is

 

[Rychiar]

what they could have done from the beginning:
- drop metaverse
- concentrate on AI

What metaverse?

 

[ururk]

Beat me to it. Surely that front screen with the spooky eyes is heavy, battery draining and expensive? That alone sounds like an easy win to me.

Yes - and I alone can solve the problem for them. I'd simply design some magnetically-positionable googly eye irises.

Instant benefits:

• Lower weight
• Cheaper to build
• Bring joy to anyone who sees the user
• Be the googly eyes you want to be in this world

Problem solved - where's my check?


(in all seriousness, external eyes is a "cool" gimmick but I bet if they had two pricing tiers - one with and one without - most would opt to save money and go without).

 

[Rychiar]

Refinement takes time, folks. The iPad was relatively simple and the jump from iPad 1 to 2 was significant.

This was always a VERY niche product aimed SQUARELY at early adopters only.

But the groundwork has been laid: everybody that used it was blown away by it in some way.

The hardware will improve, it'll get more apps, etc. It's relatively downhill from here. Shipping V.1 is the hardest obstacle.

Was it though? I always thought iPads were trash until the retina displays came. Didn’t want an iPad 1 or 2 in the slightest.

 

[Rychiar]

No since in introducing a second one when the first flopped so bad.

How did it flop when it was never meant to sell in large numbers… and yes lets cancel the one ambitious new product apple has made in years that isn’t boring… This thing is the future whether you like it or not

 

[Jamie0003]

In my opinion, there’s no way a consumer level pair of glasses is possible with current tech.

Look how heavy the current Vision Pro is, and it only gets a 2 hour battery life via a SEPERATE pack.

Couldn’t Apple in theory market the glasses like an accessory device like the Apple Watch, that would use your iPhone or iPad to do the processing? This kind of thing is much more realistic to me with current tech.

All I want really is a pair of glasses that can do floating screens all around my house and 3D movies. Preferably with a hdmi box of some sort that can beam other devices wirelessly to the headset, such as game consoles and other computers

 

[Elusi]

My suggestions as how to make it cheaper (because Apple reads my armchair suggestions I post on MR I'm sure):

Drop the fake eyes. Cool idea. Looks creepy. Sure adds a lot of cost. No one cares that much.

Plastic, poly-carbonate or poly-something. It's a heavy thing on your head. Lose the idea that it needs to be made of metal. You can make plastic feel premium enough. Cheaper, lighter, better.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

There is no chance this guy knows anything about this. He is not an executive at Apple, and no executive at Apple would ever talk to this clown. When he eventually turns out to be wrong, will anyone call him on it? He’s banking that most people will forget his stupid predictions from long ago.

 

[jclardy]

Unless Apple can communicate to the market what value this headset brings to a user, I think the technology is dead in the water.

I own one, and it is great as a remote worker and software developer. But I couldn't see recommending it to anyone in friends/family.

1. Price is insane, most non-techies have maybe a $1k laptop and maybe a $1k phone if they like being on the cutting edge. This thing is nearly double both of those items and replaces neither.
2. The best feature of it currently is watching movies - but you can only do that alone, unless someone else also has a $4k headset to shareplay in the same room.
3. Spatial Personas are the killer feature of the device, but they only work if everyone you know can use them...so price strikes again.
4. Gaming is unnecessarily hampered by Apple. This thing would sell to high end gamers if it only had just basic SteamVR support baked in (I mean connecting to a desktop, not even running games directly.)

I use mine for being able to mirror my 13" MBA anywhere in the house on a giant screen, while also having a giant TV setup for playing youtube or a movie in the background. There are a ton of potential use cases for it but the software isn't there yet, and a lot of the software is limited because of how locked down the platform is in the first place.

My biggest problem with it is that Apple just didn't even try to solve the input issue. The virtual keyboard is terrible, and by design it can never get any better (Because you have no physical feedback.) I'm surprised they didn't use surface detection to let you place the virtual keyboard on your desk so at least you can feel when you "hit" a key. And then their giant $200 case for the device doesn't even provide a way to carry an overpriced Apple keyboard with it.

 

[jmh600cbr]

how about launch in new markets? VisionOS2 will be great i'm sure.

 

[jb310]

Honestly, I think just making it lighter would be a major upgrade all by itself. 😎