Apple Puts Vision Pro on the Back Burner — Next Headset Not Until 2028

The next full-fledged mixed reality headset from Apple isn’t coming anytime in the next two years. The company hasn’t completely axed the category, but developer priorities have shifted dramatically. According to Bloomberg, no active work is being done on a Vision Pro successor right now, and a significant chunk of the team has been moved to lightweight smart glasses, Siri voice assistant improvements, and AI-powered wearables.

Mark Gurman, citing internal sources, has shot down rumors that Apple has given up on headsets altogether, but he made it clear that a new version isn’t coming any time soon. The Vision Air project — a simplified, cheaper version of the headset — was officially killed off last year, and its engineers and mixed reality specialists have been reassigned. Right now they’re working on lightweight AR glasses, a new version of AirPods with built-in cameras, and a separate AI gadget in the form of a pendant. Plus, some former Vision developers are helping to improve Siri.

This pivot makes total sense given how the market received the first Vision Pro. The $3,499 headset, with an external battery and weighing about 600 grams, was positioned from the start as an expensive enthusiast tool, not an everyday device. Even the October 2025 update, when Apple upgraded the headset to the M5 chip, didn’t fundamentally change things: the product stayed niche and never became mainstream.

One reason for the lukewarm reception was Apple’s years-long reduction in retail staff. The lack of trained store consultants meant there was simply no one to properly demonstrate this complex, pricey product to customers. As a result, effective demos of the Vision Pro’s capabilities ended up being fewer than expected.

Now the window for the next version of Apple’s closed-style headset has been pushed to 2028 or later. The company itself suggests it hasn’t abandoned the idea of a lighter, cheaper headset down the road, but right now those efforts are more in the research phase than active product development. The main focus has shifted to where they see a faster path to a broad audience: glasses you can wear all day, and earbuds with extra features.

Do you think Apple should even continue the Vision line in its current form factor, or will smart glasses prove to be a more viable direction? Share your thoughts in the comments.