Apple Vision Pro 2 pushed to 2027. Air variant gets priority.
Multiple sources now point to Vision Pro 2 slipping to 2027. Apple shipped an M5 update in October 2025 to keep the line current. The lighter Vision Air variant is now the priority track.
Multiple supply-chain reports now indicate Apple's Vision Pro 2 has slipped from a spring 2026 target to a 2027 release window [PhoneArena]. In the interim, Apple shipped an M5-chip refresh of the original Vision Pro on October 15, 2025.
── What shipped ──
The October 2025 M5 refresh kept the Vision Pro line current with:
- Improved performance and display rendering
- Extended battery life
- 120Hz refresh rate support
- Dual Knit Band for improved fit
Apple is now reportedly prioritising the Vision Air — a substantially lighter variant with a >40% weight reduction over the current model [AppleInsider].
The 2027 window also lines up with Apple's smart-glasses launch (per Gurman; per Kuo, smart glasses ship 2027 too).
── Why it matters ──
Two things to take from this.
One — the Vision Pro form factor is the wrong product. Sales of the original Vision Pro fell well short of internal targets. The honest read on Apple's roadmap shift is that the headset-as-spatial-computer narrative didn't land at $3,499 — and the path forward is a lighter, cheaper variant first, with the heavier flagship chasing later.
Two — smart glasses are eating the AR roadmap. Meta Ray-Ban Display (TX_035) shipped at $799 with display + audio + AI. Apple's reported 2026/2027 smart glasses target compresses the headset opportunity window further. Why buy a $3,499 headset for ambient AR when $800 glasses do most of it?
For developers building visionOS apps, the implication is that the addressable market grows slowly through 2026 and depends entirely on Vision Air's price point and consumer reach in 2027. Plan accordingly.
── Editor's take ──
The Vision Pro story has been a slow-motion strategic pivot. The original headset is a developer kit Apple charged $3,499 for; the Vision Air is the consumer device that should have launched first. Apple does not usually launch out-of-order, which makes the original Vision Pro look like a forced answer to Meta's Quest pressure. The course correction is sensible. The lost time is gone.
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