Apple is preparing to release its next Vision Pro headset “as early as this year,” according to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The upcoming device will reportedly feature an upgraded M4 processor, as well as an updated strap to combat neck and head pain.
The $3,499 Vision Pro, which was released in February 2024, uses the three-year-old M2 processor. According to Bloomberg, the next iteration of the Vision Pro may have an artificial intelligence focus, which is in line with the company’s efforts to introduce artificial intelligence to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
According to Bloomberg, Apple could equip the next Vision Pro model with more than the 16 neural engine cores available in the current M2-equipped headset. If true, this would be the first M4 chip with more than 16 neural cores – only the M2 Ultra and M3 Ultra have had more cores so far. Even without the extra cores, the 16-core M4 NPU is still more than twice as fast as the M2.
Bloomberg reports that Apple is also testing new straps for the Vision Pro to make the device, which weighs about 1.4 pounds, more comfortable to carry. My former colleague Wes Davis found that the Vision Pro is most comfortable when the included Solo Knit Band is paired with a $50 Belkin strap than with either of the two included Apple straps separately.
Last month, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated that Apple could release an M5-based Vision Pro headset by the end of this year. Both Gurman and Kuo claim that Apple plans to release a lighter and cheaper version of the Vision Pro in 2027. It is also reported that Apple is working on a pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses similar to those produced by Meta.
