The plan was quite simple: after the launch of the Apple Vision Pro AR/VR headset, the next step was to make simpler AR glasses. The company expected to announce the product by the end of 2025. But according to insights from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, everything has changed.
In mid-2024, Gourmet already talked about such a model. The idea was that augmented reality glasses would be much lighter and offer less functionality, could have simpler internal displays, and would not have an external one. Most importantly, a significant simplification of the product was to transfer all the working power to an iPhone or Mac. Also, such glasses would be much lighter and would not require an additional fixation on the head, as in Vision Pro. Of course, this option would not be offered at such a high price.
Over time, it became clear that the iPhone was not delivering the performance we needed, and was also using up battery power. This had to be avoided. So the gadget had to work by connecting to a Mac and using the resources of computers more powerful than smartphones. The prototype was codenamed N107.
Demonstrations to senior management did not make the necessary impression. The functionality set was also changing. Employees of Apple's Vision Products group said that CEO Mike Rockwell and the company's head of hardware, John Ternus, "lacked focus and clear leadership." This has affected the team's morale and only increased the amount of doubt. Another pressure factor is competitive solutions such as Meta Orion, demonstrated in September 2024.
Despite initial hopes to complement Apple's successful wearable gadgets (which, along with home devices, have surpassed the share of Macs and iPads in recent years) with such glasses, the N107 headset was eventually abandoned last week. However, the further development of at least some components (such as microLED screens) is not being stopped.
According to Gurman, the company attributed the slow sales of Apple Vision Pro to its high price, which is seven times higher than the price of its popular competitor Meta's Quest 3. Moreover, as it turned out, the buyers of the Apple headset do not use it as much as expected.
“That puts Apple in a quandary. Even if it can make a headset cheaper and lighter, it still has to figure out how to make the product resonate with consumers,” said Mark Gurman.