The first major Apple Vision Pro upgrade is likely years away from launch, analyst warns those waiting
We could be waiting until 2027 at the earliest.
The Apple Vision Pro has been on sale for almost a month and it's proven to be largely well-received despite its hefty price tag. But as many have pointed out, the current Apple Vision Pro will be the worst one ever made with Apple set to iterate and improve the design and technology with each subsequent iteration. That could lead some to decide to keep their powder (and their cash) dry, choosing instead to wait for an upgraded model with new features and better technology.
For those waiting, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has some very bad news indeed, as he has taken to his Medium to talk about it.
It was already highly unlikely that Apple would choose to launch an updated Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset each year just like it does with the iPhone and Apple Watch lineups, but a new report by the normally well-connected supply chain analyst suggests that any potential buyers should perhaps consider throwing their money down today — because if they don't, the prospect of an upgraded model arriving any time soon doesn't seem too great. In fact, Kuo is of the belief that the wait for a new model could be a long one.
How long? It's Kuo's belief that Apple won't have a revised Apple Vison Pro ready for mass production until the final quarter of next year at the earliest and that won't be the big upgrade people are waiting for. For that, they're going to have to wait until 2027.
Small gains and long waits
Kuo said that there could be a new model entering production in the final quarter of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026, but that it won't be a big upgrade and will instead focus on smaller improvements.
"Apple’s new Vision Pro project is expected to go into mass production in 4Q25–1Q26, with Hon Hai receiving the new product introduction (NPI)," the analyst explains. "The new project focuses on improving the efficiency of production and supply chain management rather than changing specs. The new project may reduce costs, and the latest plan shows limited changes to product specs, so it is estimated that the user experience will not differ from the current model."
For those who want to enjoy new features and even higher-end technology, it's thought that Apple is already collecting feedback that will be used to flesh out the Apple Vision Pro roadmap. "It is currently estimated that new models with significant changes to the Vision Pro specification may not be in mass production until 2027," he warns.
It is still unclear what the "significant changes" will be nor how much Apple is likely to sell such a headset for. The current Apple Vision Pro retails for $3,499 for the 256GB model while 512GB and 1TB alternatives are also available for anyone who thinks that they will need more space to store apps and content.
Apple is rumored to be working on a cheaper model which might correspond to Kuo's claims of production efficiencies, but it isn't clear how much cheaper such a headset could be.
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Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.
Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.
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