Apple is building a Vision Pro successor — but don't expect it before 2029
Apple hasn't given up on mixed-reality headsets. According to Mark Gurman, Bloomberg Power On, the company is developing a fully redesigned Vision Pro follow-up under the codename N224 — lighter, more affordable, and built to answer Meta's aggressive push into the space. The catch: it won't arrive before late 2028 at the earliest, and Apple hasn't even agreed internally on what shape it should take.
The competition that forced Apple's hand
Meta announced its VR Glasses at Connect 2026, setting a direct challenge to Apple. As confirmed by UploadVR, Meta Connect 2026, the device weighs just 100g, uses a tethered compute puck running Snapdragon Reality Elite, sports a micro-OLED 2.4K display, and carries a $1,299 price tag — launching spring 2027. That's less than half the current Vision Pro's $3,499. For Apple, which sold an estimated 500,000 Vision Pro units in 2024 despite the headset being widely written off as a disappointment, Meta's move sharpens the pressure considerably.
Four designs, no consensus
Apple's engineers are currently testing four different N224 concepts. One keeps the familiar all-in-one headset form but sheds weight through plastic, titanium, and new alloys. Another moves all computing hardware — not just the battery — into an external puck, mirroring the approach Meta took with its new VR glasses. That external puck concept directly addresses the criticism that defined the original Vision Pro's failure: it was simply too heavy to wear for long.
The problem is Apple can't agree on direction. Gurman reports the project is currently "on life support" while leadership weighs whether to keep funding it. Some executives want to preserve the all-in-one design; others are drawn to the external puck model. No consensus means no locked spec, no chip commitment, and no clear road to a launch date.
The outlook
N224 is targeting future A-series chips — something like an A20 Pro — which would deliver the performance needed for visionOS without active cooling. That chip timeline alone explains why 2028 is the earliest realistic window. Apple's near-term focus is reportedly on simpler smart glasses without a display.
The original Vision Pro was a product that struggled to justify its price to most people who tried it. N224 is meant to fix that — lighter, cheaper, genuinely wearable. But with development this early and internal disagreement this deep, it's more a statement of intent than a product plan. Meta will have had the VR glasses market to itself for at least 18 months before Apple has a credible answer.
