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Apple Narrows XR Roadmap and Pivots to Smart Glasses as Vision Pro Follow‑Up Is Delayed

Leadership-backed cuts and engineering limits have pushed a lighter, cheaper Vision Pro successor into 2028–2029 and refocused near-term work on simpler glasses.

Overview

  • Analyst Ming‑Chi Kuo published an updated roadmap on June 3, 2026 saying Apple now shows only two active smart‑glasses projects after a major overhaul reportedly approved by John Ternus.
  • Kuo and other reports say Apple is targeting display‑less, Siri‑driven AI glasses for what the company hopes is a late‑2027 release and a display‑equipped AR/XR glasses device using optical waveguides for 2029.
  • Several outlets report that a lighter, lower‑cost successor to the $3,499 Vision Pro remains under study but is unlikely to ship before 2028 or 2029 as Apple works to reduce weight and price.
  • The shift reflects technical constraints—battery life, device weight and next‑generation optics such as transparent waveguides—plus a modest market reception to the high‑end Vision Pro.
  • Apple continues to sell and support the M5‑powered Vision Pro while reallocating some Vision Products Group staff to glasses work and preparing software updates such as upcoming visionOS improvements.