Word on the street suggests that Apple is secretly developing two versions of its Vision Pro, but there’s more to the story. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple is setting its sights on outpacing Meta with its very own pair of AR glasses.
Insiders reveal that Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is laser-focused on making the AR glasses a reality, as he intends to launch this breakthrough device before Meta can. “For Tim, it’s the main priority,” a source confidently shared with Bloomberg. “When it comes to product development, it’s his primary focus.”
However, crafting AR glasses that people can wear all day is no small feat. Apple is tackling numerous hurdles, such as fitting high-res displays, a powerful chip, and a compact yet robust battery into a sleek form—ideally at a price that won’t scare off consumers. That’s no easy task in today’s tech landscape.
While Apple keeps its cards close to the chest, Meta has been more open about its extended reality (XR) ambitions. In late 2024, the company presented its Orion AR glasses, setting a target to create a marketable product by 2030, with a price range similar to laptops or high-end phones. At this point, the cost to produce Orion stands at around $10,000 per unit, primarily due to its specialized silicon carbide waveguide optics.
Even though Orion isn’t ready for prime time, Meta is making significant strides in the XR domain. They’ve not only developed multiple iterations of Quest standalone headsets but have also introduced their Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. These smart glasses, created alongside EssilorLuxottica, have seen considerable success. So much so, in fact, that Meta is working on a new version with a monoscopic heads-up display. It’s worth mentioning, these are smart glasses rather than true augmented reality devices. Curious about the distinction? You can find more info on that here.
Meanwhile, Gurman notes that Apple is pushing ahead with upgrading the Apple Watch and AirPods to feature AI-powered cameras. Nonetheless, the big question remains: will Apple step up with its own smart glasses to challenge Meta? It’s a topic of internal debate, as the company considers privacy concerns, particularly around media capture.
This push follows a leadership shakeup at Apple, as reported by Bloomberg last month, which saw the Vision Products Group (VPG) shuffled across the organization. Originally formed in 2023 to work on Vision Pro, this change marks a move back to the management style Steve Jobs championed in the ’90s. Essentially, Apple is syncing up Vision Pro’s development with its other key products like the iPhone and iPad.
