The lighter and “more affordable” variant of the Vision Pro has been in the works for some time now. Codenamed N100, it was previously expected to launch in 2027. But now, it looks like Apple has decided to put the headset on the backburner to focus on a more pressing project: smart glasses.
According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the bitten fruit company is diverting manpower from the cheaper Vision Pro effort to accelerate development of smart glasses. The brand is currently working on two types of glasses. It plans to unveil one of them as soon as next year before releasing it in 2027. This first model, known internally as N50, will pair with an iPhone and will not have its own display.
Meanwhile, the second version will feature a display. Initially planned for 2028, these glasses have become a higher priority thanks to the recently launched Meta Ray-Ban Display. Of course, it is no secret that Apple has been aiming to compete with Meta in the AI wearable space, but it has been on the back foot for quite some time now.
Apple’s smart glasses will be heavily reliant on AI and voice-based commands, which are undeniably the company’s weaker points. It plans to turn things around with the upcoming Siri revamp. How that will turn out, though, remains to be seen.
Naturally, the glasses will include cameras and microphones. Aside from equipping them with specialised chips, Apple is looking to add health-tracking capabilities. In terms of design, the glasses will come with multiple material and frame options for better customisation. Customers will be able to choose from different colour options as well.
While the affordable headset is on hold for now, Apple is still working on a refresh of the current Vision Pro. This headset may feature an M5 chip and could debut by the end of this year.
