Apple Shifts Focus to Smart Glasses, Halting Vision Air Development
Apple has reportedly redirected its augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) hardware strategy, ceasing development of the Vision Air, a more cost-effective iteration of the Vision Pro headset. Instead, the company is concentrating its resources on the accelerated development of smart glasses, potentially designed to compete with products like the Meta Ray-Ban.
According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Apple has reallocated engineering teams initially assigned to the Vision Air project to expedite the development of these smart glasses. The report suggests a strategic shift aimed at an earlier market entry for a wearable device that would offer a different form factor than the current Vision Pro.
Initial projections, based on earlier reports, had targeted a second-quarter 2027 mass production launch for Apple’s smart glasses. However, this timeline has been adjusted, with the product launch now anticipated in 2026.
The first generation of Apple smart glasses are expected to feature a range of material options for the frames and temples, and will not incorporate an integrated display. The device is projected to leverage Apple Intelligence, integrating various visual intelligence features through multiple integrated cameras.
Furthermore, Apple continues to develop extended reality (XR) glasses, featuring liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) displays, voice control functionalities, and gesture recognition. Mass production for these XR glasses is currently slated for the second quarter of 2028.
Source: Bloomberg (Paywalled)
