https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/29/apple-vision-pro-m5-flop/
Apple appears to have largely abandoned development of Vision Pro following the failure of its M5 chip-equipped model
Apple updated Vision Pro in October 2025 with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band, but there were no other hardware changes, and it failed to revive consumer interest.
Vision Pro has faced criticism for its high price and uncomfortable weight. The device weighs more than approximately 1.3 pounds (approximately 590g), and despite the Dual Knit Band that Apple added to distribute the weight, it is still considered uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. While the M5 chip provided a 120Hz refresh rate, approximately 10% more rendering pixels, and approximately 30 minutes of extended battery life, the price remained at $3,499, which didn't help sales much.
Vision Pro was not popular from its initial launch, and it is known that total sales were around 600,000 units. According to internal sources, the return rate was also unusually high compared to other Apple products.
Apple appears to have halted Vision Pro-related work, and the team members have been reassigned to other departments. Some team members moved to the Siri development team, which is not surprising given that Mike Rockwell, who was the Vision Pro executive, has been leading the Siri team since March 2025.
There were rumors about a lighter and cheaper 'Vision Air' model, but that project was reportedly discontinued last year. If Apple can develop a cheaper VR headset with improved wearing comfort in the future, there is a possibility that the Vision Pro line could be revived, but as of now, there are no plans for new model launches. However, Vision Pro itself has not been discontinued, and the M5 model continues to be sold.
Meanwhile, Apple is focusing on smart glasses development instead of virtual reality (VR) devices, and the initial model is expected to be a display-less, AI-based product that will be similar in form to Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
However, the technology used in Vision Pro consumes a lot of power, making it difficult to apply to smaller and lighter smart glasses.
