Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple's Vision team is exploring four concepts for the device, codenamed N224, including designs that offload internal components in a similar way to Meta's latest VR Glasses, which are expected to launch next spring.
An external computing module on Meta's device houses the battery and main processor, and can be clipped to the user's waist. Gurman, who has previewed Meta's headset, says the module is about the same size and weight as the current Vision Pro's battery pack, but with a grippy exterior.
Gurman reports that regardless of the Vision team's work, senior Apple decision-makers still consider the external puck concept as a "poor user experience" and want the company to stick with "something closer to an all-in-one design."
If any of this sounds familiar, that's because Gurman reported in June that Apple was still working on a cheaper, lighter successor to its Vision Pro headset. (The device-in-development is distinct from the long-rumored "Vision Air," which was cancelled last year.)
Apple knows it needs to come up with ways to simplify the design and make something cheaper and lighter, and it is said to be actively exploring ways to reduce the headset's weight by experimenting with plastic, titanium, other metals and various materials.
Still, Gurman has been told the work is on "life support" as the company focuses more on smart glasses, which it aims to release in late 2027. Despite the Vision Pro's most senior leaders "pressing their bosses to keep the category alive, funded and growing at Apple," Gurman says there's still no guarantee a new headset will ever launch.
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This article, "New Vision Pro Headset: Apple Considering Four Different Concepts" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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