Apple appears to have largely lost confidence in the Vision Pro, now that last fall’s M5 update failed to boost sales. Recent Posts indicate that internal work on the spatial computer has been halted and teams have been moved to other projects, while Apple continues to offer the current M5 version.
It previously became clear that the cheaper Vision Air, which was seen for years as a logical sequel to the Vision Pro, would have been scrapped. Interestingly, Apple is now shifting its focus from a broader mixed reality strategy to AI and AR glasses.
Vision Pro under pressure
At its introduction, the Vision Pro was presented as Apple’s major step towards a spatial computer, but in practice it proved to be difficult. The combination of a high price, a relatively heavy design and limited appeal to the general public quickly led to disappointing demand. Apple gave the model an M5 refresh in October 2025 with, among other things, a faster chip, 120Hz and a more comfortable band, but without major hardware changes, a real revival failed to materialize.
According to reports, Apple sold a total of approximately 600,000 Vision Pros and return rates were remarkably high, indicating continued doubt among buyers. The price also remained at $3,499, meaning the headset remained a niche product for many consumers.
Don’t expect Vision Air
The Vision Air was seen as the more affordable answer to the Vision Pro: lighter, cheaper and therefore more accessible to a wider audience. However, that plan was reportedly stopped last year, before the product really took shape. This meant that the model that could possibly have broadened the Vision line to a larger audience disappeared.
This is a striking choice for Apple, because a stripped-down variant often forms the bridge between a premium first generation and a product that really gains traction. By dropping that intermediate step, the company now seems to be betting on a completely different category: smart glasses with AI, less hardware weight and much clearer daily use.
Next step from Apple
Instead of continuing to work on new generations of the Vision Pro, Apple has split up the team responsible for this and moved it to other departments. Some of this expertise has even gone to Siri, showing that Apple is reallocating its internal capabilities to projects that are currently higher priorities. This is in line with the broader trend that Apple currently attaches more value to other projects than to the development of an advanced spatial computer.
The strategy is in line with reports that Apple is developing AI glasses to compete with the Ray Ban Meta glasses. These glasses are offered in a variety of frames and materials, and are equipped with features such as voice and gesture recognition, photo and video capture, AI-powered environmental sensors and audio.
Apple’s smart glasses will not have an integrated display and will mainly serve as an extension for Siri and AI tools that can be accessed directly on your nose. It remains unclear for the time being when these smart glasses will be available; it may not even be until late next year. For Apple, the challenge lies mainly with energy consumption, weight and wearing comfort, exactly the aspects for which the Vision Pro has previously been criticized.
Current Vision Pro remains for sale
For Dutch users, little will change for the time being, because the Vision Pro is still not officially available here. Due to this news, the arrival of the Vision Pro in the Netherlands is not expected anytime soon.
The headset remains available worldwide, but based on these rumors, the chance that Apple will soon release an actual successor seems slim to none. The current M5 version therefore mainly remains an existing, expensive niche option for enthusiasts.