Apple to Upgrade Vision Pro in Two Ways Later This Year

Apple plans to introduce a new version of the Vision Pro this year, with the main update focused on the chip inside, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The device will use the M4 chip that Apple has already debuted in the iPad Pro and several Macs.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said late last year that a new Vision Pro coming in 2025 would have an M5 chip, and Gurman also said around the same timeframe that Apple would update the Vision Pro with the M5 chip. Just last month, Kuo maintained that the updated Vision Pro would use an M5 chip, but it now appears that information about the M5 could be incorrect.

The current version of the Vision Pro includes an M2 chip, so even if the upgraded model won't get the M5 chip, the M4 should still bring significant performance improvements. Apple is also testing a version of the device that has an upgraded Neural Engine with a higher number of cores, which would improve processing for AI tasks.

Along with the faster processor, Apple plans to update the Vision Pro with a strap that will make the headset more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. Straps that Apple is working on are meant to cut down on head pain and neck strain, but there's no information on what Apple has in mind. Apple already has two Vision Pro straps, including one that goes around the back of the head and a second add-on strap that better distributes weight at the top of the head.

After the second-generation Vision Pro that's coming out this year, the device will not see another update in 2026. Apple is instead planning to debut a redesigned model in 2027. The redesigned model, which Kuo has referred to as a "Vision Air," is expected to be significantly lighter.

Gurman says that Apple is working on another variation of the Vision Pro that could be tethered to an iPhone or Mac for enterprise applications and reduced lag. Apple had been designing Mac-connected glasses that would work as a computer display, but Apple paused work on that project back in January.

Apple is developing a set of smart glasses that are similar to Meta's Ray-Bans and that are supposed to come out in 2026. Those glasses won't feature augmented reality capabilities, but they will serve as a precursor to true AR glasses.