In February 2024, Apple Vision Pro launched on sale. Although the company intends to expand its distribution to overseas markets, the mixed-reality headgear is now only accessible in the United States. But it appears that the Cupertino-based tech giant’s newest product is still developing, and a replacement is not in sight. According to a recent source, Apple does not plan to release the Vision Pro 2 until the end of 2026. Interestingly, Tim Cook, the CEO, has stated that the mixed-reality headset will be accessible in China starting in 2024.
According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, in his Power On newsletter, Apple has no plans to release a second headset for the next two years for the Vision Pro. This supports remarks made by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a Medium post from February, when the expert predicted that the Vision Pro 2 would not go into commercial production until 2027. The IT giant may take up to three years to consider developing a new product that focuses on virtual reality and augmented reality, if the claims about it are accurate.
This does not mean Apple does not have a roadmap for the Vision Pro. As per Gurman, the company has three clear priorities right now. The first is market expansion. Despite being launched, the mixed-reality headset is only available in the US at the moment. China appears to be the first one on the list as Cook has already confirmed its launch there. Other regions could see the introduction of the headset in 2025. However, it seems the tech giant is keeping a conservative view of the units it will be able to sell as it has reportedly cut orders for the Apple Vision Pro from a “market consensus” of 700,000 to 800,000 units to 400,000 to 450,000 units.
Another agenda for the company is to bring an update to the existing operating system for the mixed-reality headset. As per the report, Apple will release visionOS 2.0 update later this year. However, the update is not expected to make any revolutionary changes to the way the device works. It will still be interesting to see any new features the company adds. Notably, the Vision Pro is rumoured to get new AI features with the update to its operating system.
The final target is developing a cheaper version of the headset, claimed Gurman. The company is said to be focused on launching a cheaper version of the Vision Pro before planning a successor. However, there is a challenge. As per the report, Apple is struggling to bring down the price and does not have a concrete plan to achieve this goal.
