More All-Black Apple Vision Pro Parts Surface Online

[MacRumors]

Images of parts designed for an unreleased all-black Apple Vision headset have been leaked online, courtesy of X account @LusiRoy8.

The image shows what appear to be power strap and audio pod parts that look identical to Apple's existing Apple Vision Pro hardware, except with a dark finish that is not commercially available. The account that shared the images claims that the parts are for a "upcoming" second-generation Apple Vision Pro in black.

It's not the first time we've seen black versions of hardware related to Apple's headset, with images surfacing of similar parts last year. The leaker of those earlier images claimed that Apple has been testing a thinner and lighter mixed-reality headset referred to internally as "Vision Air," featuring a Midnight-colored exterior and reduced weight achieved by switching several structural components and the battery enclosure to titanium.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2059139238558634148

Apple was widely expected to launch both a lower-cost headset, tentatively dubbed "Vision Air," and a redesigned second-generation Vision Pro. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in October that the company had paused development of all Vision headsets to focus on accelerating work on AI-powered smart glasses.

Gurman recently resisted reports that Apple has walked away from the headset entirely. The reporter says Apple hasn't fully abandoned the Vision Pro, but anyone hoping for a successor will be waiting at least two more years.

Indeed, Apple's smart glasses project is now the focus, and former Vision Products Group members have been reassigned to that team, as well as shoring up its Siri chatbot development. Apple is also busy working on other AI wearables such as the AirPods with cameras and a planned AI pendant.

Apple refreshed the Vision Pro in October 2025 with an updated model featuring an M5 chip.

Article Link: More All-Black Apple Vision Pro Parts Surface Online

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

Im thinking 1 of two things is going to happen. As prices and parts come down we will eventually get a more affordable Vision Pro or Vision Pro Light, but that will be focused as a full VR Headset. NOT something you wear out in public. I see them ditching the front screen, aluminum parts (unless needed for heating) and just getting the price where its more afforable but not nessessarly more powerful. As for smart glasses, first gen is just going to be speakers and cameras, the later high end glasses will have screens in them, but not for another year or 2 down the road. Eventually the two products will merge in some way but not for another 5-10 years or so. Problem is battery and heating. Thats the choke point. You can have the greatest glasses on the planet with high end processing and everything, but without battery life or thermals to keep it cool while working, your only going to get 10 minuets or so of use out of it!

 

[Justin Cymbal]

The account that shared the images claims that the parts are for a "upcoming" second-generation Apple Vision Pro in black.

It's not the first time we've seen black versions of hardware related to Apple's headset, with images surfacing of similar parts last year

Also not the first time that Apple has debuted an all-black product either. That title went to the classic Black MacBook 💻 back in 2006:

Future Classics: the black MacBook

In my “Future Classics” series, I try to guess what current-era Apple products may become collectable in the future. My hobbies are admittedly weird. Announced in 2006 to replace the iBook G4, the MacBook was an entirely new machine. Powered by an Intel processor, the notebook featured a...

512pixels.net

Gurman recently resisted reports that Apple has walked away from the headset entirely. The reporter says Apple hasn't fully abandoned the Vision Pro, but anyone hoping for a successor will be waiting at least two more years

I highly doubt that Apple would abandon future development. I was actually at this⬇️Miami Store a month after it opened (in February, 2025) and was able to try it out there in the new demo room - that are frequently integrated in all of their new stores over the past 2 years. When I tried it out, the capabilities were actually quite impressive, so much so that even my Dad who was with me in Miami, wanted to eventually get one for himself so that he could watch the ‘spacial’ videos that he now takes (that can be captured with iPhone 15 Pro or later) and then watch them on the Vision Pro

Apple's New Stores Have A Dedicated Vision Pro Side Room

Contrary to the public perception of Apple's sentiment on Vision Pro, the company's new stores include a dedicated side room for the headset.

www.uploadvr.com

So if this was actually able to get my Dad interested in buying one, that probably says a lot about its technical potential, considering he’s the last person to say something like that, having zero technical knowledge and/or interest in such a product 😅

 

[JPack]

Gurman recently resisted reports that Apple has walked away from the headset entirely. The reporter says Apple hasn't fully abandoned the Vision Pro, but anyone hoping for a successor will be waiting at least two more years.

Sure, it's not technically abandoned, but shelved indefinitely.

Basically, anything that covers the eyes isn't socially acceptable. Apple sells mainstream products to mainstream consumers, not loners. Apple tried to solve the problem with the outer display, but obviously it was unacceptable.

The next Vision Pro or Air won't come out until it's socially acceptable to wear goggles. And that day may never come, which is why Apple is pivoting to glasses.

Black, white, or gray doesn't matter if the device itself is socially unacceptable. That's probably why Apple never bothered to release it in black.

 

[arubinst]

Indeed, Apple's smart glasses project is now the focus, and former Vision Products Group members have been reassigned to that team, as well as shoring up its Siri chatbot development. Apple is also busy working on other AI wearables such as the AirPods with cameras and a planned AI pendant.

Designing and building the AVP certainly required the most absurdly skilled engineering team on earth. You need hardware engineers (Apple silicon integration), optics and display physics (lens systems, display calibration, distortion correction), embedded systems, real-time operating systems, computer vision (depth estimation, hand tracking, eye tracking, 3D reconstruction, projective geometry...), machine learning (on-device NN optimization and inference, gesture recognition, pose estimation, ...), graphics and GPU programming (real-time rendering, spatial rendering, 3D transforms, matrices, ...), user interface design, acoustics, etc, etc, etc...

I just don't see these highly skilled and highly specialized people being told: "hey, we need you to stop developing these thing you are so good at so you can help develop the new Siri chatbot with tech that actually has nothing to do with what you are best at".

Even the smart glasses and the AirPods with cameras require many skills that do not necessarily overlap with the AVP. Can some of the AVP know-how and personnel be reused? Sure. Are they a direct fit so you have to stop their work on the other project and reassign them as if they were the only people available to do so? Maybe... I don't know.

I see this all the time on different articles. Apple has stoped development of (insert product here) and reassigned the team to develop the new user interface for iOS... really? They have what? 3 developers? Can't they hire some more? Don't they have specific people for specific kind of developments?

 

[syklee26]

OH MY GOD I HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR AVP BLACK VERSION PLEASE TAKE MY WALLET

 

[lars666]

This site told me that the AVP is officially dead and now this.

 

[amartinez1660]

However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in October that the company had paused development of all Vision headsets to focus on accelerating work on AI-powered smart glasses.

For a company with infinite resources that could seemingly do everything in parallel, putting something “on pause” seems more like the end of it.

Either that or the rumor is inaccurate or there’s something off with the perceived effective size of Apple

 

[knappeduivel]

Also not the first time that Apple has debuted an all-black product either. That title went to the classic Black MacBook 💻 back in 2006:

It was called graphite but my 1997 Power Macintosh 5500 was very black.

 

[McNoise]

You really wouldn’t have expected that: everything is black in the all-black version. 🤣

 

[Mr_Ed]

Also not the first time that Apple has debuted an all-black product either. That title went to the classic Black MacBook 💻 back in 2006:

I had a black PowerBook G3 long before that!

EDIT: Still have it. Haven’t tried to fire it up in years 😁

 

[headlessmike]

It was called graphite but my 1997 Power Macintosh 5500 was very black.


View attachment 2633051

And before that we even had the Macintosh TV from 1993 sporting a 32 MHz 68030 and a built in TV-tuner.

 

[Mr_Ed]

For a company with infinite resources that could seemingly do everything in parallel, putting something “on pause” seems more like the end of it.

Either that or the rumor is inaccurate or there’s something off with the perceived effective size of Apple

I agree with the “pause” observation. TBF, the only time I see the “Apple is big, they can walk and chew gum at the same time” argument here is when someone posts a negative comment about the latest emoji additions. Of course, by that logic, there shouldn’t be impactful bugs that hang around for years (like in the iOS keyboard or a useless Siri, for example) while still adding awesome new features people are clamoring for like Genmoji, an app for invites, or image playground. If you point this out, then you will likely see someone trying to tell you that “making software is hard.”

IMO, it’s not so much about the size of the company. It’s about the priorities set by management, and whether management makes decisions in support of those priorities.

 

[ridgero]

Thought the Apple Vintage Pro is already Vision?

 

[dbwie]

Can that part of the strap on the current AVP be easily replaced? Maybe it’s just a new developer strap, or one with easy to use USB-C and/or ethernet inputs for existing AVPs, and/or an update to those earpods. Although the picture doesn’t suggest the additions of ports. However, I recall an iMac where the ethernet port was in the power brick. Maybe they re-do the strap and put ethernet or USB-C on the powerbrick/battery to allow for less lag, circumvent wifi interference issues, and more general connectivity for the Vision Pro for better gaming and other high end Pro uses for innovators (e.g. eye surgeons using Vision Pro). Then, sell the strap and battery with ports as an update. I asked Ternus for this in an email! Overall, however, I find this rumor hard to believe. I don’t envision Apple releasing a new Vision Pro or Air product so soon after releasing the M5 Vision Pro. AR glasses will likely be Apples next release in this space.

 

[aknabi]

I agree with the “pause” observation. TBF, the only time I see the “Apple is big, they can walk and chew gum at the same time” argument here is when someone posts a negative comment about the latest emoji additions. Of course, by that logic, there shouldn’t be impactful bugs that hang around for years (like in the iOS keyboard or a useless Siri, for example) while still adding awesome new features people are clamoring for like Genmoji, an app for invites, or image playground. If you point this out, then you will likely see someone trying to tell you that “making software is hard.”

IMO, it’s not so much about the size of the company. It’s about the priorities set by management, and whether management makes decisions in support of those priorities.

Indeed this is a great take... "Apple can't do both" and "Apple can do both" depending on if the answer is to a challenge to the infallibility of the wise and all-knowing Apple.

The faithful response to your take would be:

 

[Slo Pesci]

We’re really doing this again, huh?

 

[lazyrighteye]

And before that we even had the Macintosh TV from 1993 sporting a 32 MHz 68030 and a built in TV-tuner.

View attachment 2633053

Frasier! Wow...

 

[MrWayne]

The Apple Watch has kept nearly the same overall form since launch. It still resembles the original, but over time it has become thinner, with slimmer bezels.

I imagine the next Vision Pro will follow a similar path: it may look much like the first generation, but with slightly less weight, a wider field of view, and a better front-facing EyeSight display.

I really hope it gets revealed soon.

 

[crsh1976]

Good thing the AVP is all but canceled, as per Ternus' stance on it.

These could be engineering samples, black is a popular/safe color to test with.

 

[Rychiar]

should've always been black. no one wanted light gray fabric. it sucks longterm

 

[egdiroh]

To the extent that there are groups working on head mounted cameras and the processing of data from head mounted cameras, I think that those groups have been told to prioritize the needs of other potential products, but probably still have an eye at what the future of the vision products will require. Probably the same with other shared components. And for each of those the associated costs have probably also shifted, in how they are accounted for as well, putting less pressure on the accounting for the next vision headset. Apple is good at leveraging commonality, and I think that will continue.

I also think that if there is another product in that vague space that ends up with dev kits the dev kits will be kitbashed together from as many existing-ish parts as possible, so these might be part of the dev kits for the next thing.

 

[bryo]

Definitely curious. Looks identical to the existing parts aside from color.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

All black will make this so much better when wearing this out on a date or picking up the kids from school

 

[Leobreaker]

I think there’s a chance the Vision Pro continues as a niche product. Strip back some of the fluff (EyeSight, etc.) make one storage SKU and one colorway (black for enterprise?) and sell it to businesses. I’m sure there’s a use for large businesses or medical facilities to have a few on hand. It’s an incredible VR headset, nobody can deny that.

Could be just enough of a market in that sense. Maybe the consumer facing reality of Vision Pro will fade while Apple maintains the business customers.