Apple insiders think the Vision Pro is at least four generations away from reaching its “ideal form.” Apple still needs to do a lot of work behind the scenes before the headset can potentially become as popular as an iPhone or Mac.
While the first-gen headset has issues, it is an impressive first try from Apple.
Vision Pro’s ideal form: Apple headset will evolve
In his Vision Pro review, Cult of Mac‘s EIC Leander Kahney called the headset “a magical delight.” But it is not ready for the general public. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman believes the same, and it’s the same consensus within Apple. In its current form, Vision Pro gives us a preview of the future.
While Vision Pro boasts impressive internals, its software remains rough around the edges. There’s no clear use case for the device yet, and bugs in visionOS frequently break the immersive experience. The headset itself is too heavy, and the battery life, despite the external battery pack, is not good enough. The cable also could be longer.
Gurmans says the team working on the Vision Pro inside Apple thinks “it could take four generations before the device reaches its ideal form.” That’s not surprising or unexpected, really, since the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch all progressed similarly. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman even says the Vision Pro might eventually replace the iPad. But that future is still a few years away.
Apple continues working on sleek AR glasses
Apple is working on sleek AR glasses, which could ultimately replace the bulky Vision Pro of 2024. However, the company reportedly postponed the glasses’ development in favor of the effort to produce a cheaper AR headset. The latter will arrive first to help AR/VR go mainstream, with the sleeker AR glasses coming after that, possibly in 2026 or later.
But what if you are interested in buying the Vision Pro now? My colleague D. Griffin Jones has been putting Apple’s AR headset through its paces, wearing one while working out and trying to get some work done using it. The results have been impressive. Depending on your workflow, the Vision Pro could transform it.
