- Apple has seven virtual reality devices in the works, a report claims
- That includes both smart glasses and Vision Pro-style headsets
- The first device won’t launch until 2027, however
Apple’s Vision Pro headset hasn’t yet proved to be the success story that Apple was hoping for, while much more lightweight smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarers have proven way more popular. Now, though, a fresh report has spilled the beans on how Apple hopes to follow up on the Vision Pro – and how it might eventually displace Meta’s glasses from their lofty perch.
The news comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who published a new report claiming that Apple is currently working on seven different head-mounted devices. That’s far more than many people previously realized and suggests that Apple has not been put off by the Vision Pro’s struggles.
Notably, Kuo believes that the first of these devices to gain any real traction will be Apple’s Ray-Ban Meta competitors. According to Kuo, they could ship 3-5 million units in 2027, the first year they go on sale. That could push total market sales of augmented reality (AR) glasses to over 10 million units a year, Kuo says, suggesting that Apple’s specs could sell like hot cakes and eat up significant market share.
Apple Vision Series and Smart Glasses Roadmap (2025–2028): Smart Glasses Set to Drive the Next Wave in Consumer ElectronicsFull story: pic.twitter.com/U2nQhBmEYgJune 29, 2025
In fact, although Apple might be a little late to the party, Kuo doesn’t seem to think its rivals will score many significant successes.
That’s because while Apple is struggling with the “AI-powered operating system and software” aspect (as we’ve seen with Siri recently), its “robust hardware development capabilities and ecosystem integration” give it a big advantage. That could mean Apple’s AR glasses prove to be a hit, despite other companies getting there first.
Seven products in development?
All in all, Kuo says Apple is working on seven different head-mounted products. Five of them have a solid release timeline, he believes, while two are still to be determined.
Three of the upcoming devices will be full-on headsets like the Vision Pro. That includes a Vision Pro with M5 chip, which should launch around the third quarter of 2025. It’s only going to come with a new chip and no other changes, which means it’ll remain a niche product, Kuo says.
There will then be a lightweight “Vision Air” headset in the third quarter of 2027 with a lower price, 40% lighter frame, and an iPhone chip on the inside. Then in the second half of 2028 we should see a second-generation Vision Pro with a new, lighter design, a Mac chip, and a lower asking price.
On the smart glasses side, we’ll see the aforementioned Ray-Ban-style specs in the second quarter of 2027. Here, you’ll get “audio playback, camera, video recording, and AI environmental sensing,” plus “voice control and gesture recognition,” but no display functionality.
In the second half of 2028, Apple will launch a pair of smart glasses that add the display capabilities missing from its Ray-Ban-esque specs. Kuo also says there’s an “additional variant” of this product in development with a “later production timeline and lower visibility.”
Finally, Apple is also working on a “display accessory,” Kuo believes, but its release date is less certain. It’s apparently been paused since the fourth quarter of 2024 and is “under review for repositioning and specification refinement.”
It would feature a “tethered connection to display content from Apple devices” (like an iPhone), but Apple has put it on hold because it lacks a real competitive advantage against other products. Kuo believes it’s possible that Apple might restart production, but there’s no estimation for when that might be.
All in all, then, it looks like Apple has a wide slate of reality devices under development in its secret labs. Yet if you were hoping for a quick follow-up to the Vision Pro – or the swift arrival of a cheaper headset – you’re out of luck. With the first of these products not launching until 2027, we’ve still got some waiting to do.
Leave a comment