As one of the biggest companies in the world, Apple continues to innovate. The tech giant has delivered some amazing (and not-so-amazing) products over the years, with the likes of Apple I, iPod, and iPhone putting it in the history books.
Apple is constantly looking to the future, and while not all of its inventions land, it's potentially looking to a VR future. This comes in the aftermath of the Apple Vision Pro‘s release in February 2024 and being something of a commercial failure.
Despite production on the Vision Pro apparently being sharply scaled back due to a lack of interest, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims Apple is getting ready to release two revamped versions of the mixed-reality headset.
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Following the breakup of the Vision Products Group that built the Vision Pro, future iterations of the headset will follow in the footsteps of the iPhone and iPad by having its work spread out over multiple departments.
This was something Steve Jobs had always envisioned when he co-founded Apple in 1976.
We're reminded that while the Vision Pro was heralded as a 'technological marvel', it's fallen short on the sales front. There have been rumbles of behind-the-scenes worries, with concerns that the VPG breakup could lead to layoffs.
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Instead, Gurman reiterates that Apple CEO Tim Cook is going hard on VR. Although Apple was originally looking at a generic M2 to M5 chip upgrade for the Vision Pro, it's now reportedly looking at a bigger overhaul.
Considering the Vision Pro's $3,500 price tag puts it up there with its most expensive MacBooks and makes it seven times more than the Meta Quest, it's easy to see why consumers might be put off. That comes alongside its hefty weight of nearly 1.5 pounds, with many stumping up for third-party straps to alleviate discomfort.
Looking to evolve the Vision Pro line, future versions are expected to be lighter and cheaper. Alongside the lighter and cheaper standard Vision Pro, there are also whispers that a version that can plug into your Mac could be on the way.
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Hoping to up the level of immersion, Gurman says Apple is pushing for an "ultra-low-latency system for streaming a user’s Mac display or for connecting to high-end enterprise applications."
As some are using the Vision Pro for surgery and flight simulators, these are scenarios where the lag of a wireless system would be a problem.
Apple was once working on augmented reality glasses, although this is supposedly the ultimate 'vision' of Cook, as he wants to overlay data onto our real-world view.
Someone close to Cook told the outlet: "Tim cares about nothing else. It’s the only thing he’s really spending his time on from a product development standpoint."
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It's giving Iron Man, but is it possible?
It sounds like Apple's AR glasses are still a way off, with Cook and co. needing to iron out kinks like high-resolution displays, a high-performance chip, and the presumably tiny battery life contained in a pair of glasses. If that wasn't enough, you'll need to have to hit that all-important price point and persuade users to veer away from their iPhones.