Apple pulls the plug on Vision Pro — and the cheaper version never coming either
Apple has quietly killed off its Vision Pro headset program after selling just 600,000 units since the device launched in February 2024 at $3,499. The M5 refresh in October 2025 — which added a 120Hz display and a modest battery life boost — failed to move the needle. According to MacRumors, Apple sources confirm the product logged an unusually high return rate, exceeding any modern Apple device.
The numbers
600,000 total units over roughly two years is a commercial failure by any measure. For context, Apple sells that many iPhones every few days. The Vision Pro team has been broken up, staff reassigned to other projects, and the planned budget version — known internally as Vision Air — was cancelled outright. Tim Cook famously championed the original launch over internal objections; hardware chief John Ternus had reportedly been sceptical from the start.
The core problems were never really about specs. The headset weighed enough to cause discomfort within minutes, cost $3,499 at launch, and Apple's marketing never landed on a clear answer to the obvious question: what is this actually for? Competitors like Meta Quest 3 at $499 offered a far lower barrier to entry, and the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses — under $400 — gave mainstream consumers a wearable that fit into daily life without strapping a computer to their face.
What comes next
Apple is now redirecting resources toward a pair of display-free smart glasses, targeted for a late 2026 or early 2027 debut. The glasses are expected to carry dual cameras, gesture recognition, and deep Siri integration — features borrowed from Vision Pro but in a form factor that might actually appeal to everyday buyers. No display in the first generation keeps the hardware lighter and cheaper, likely landing in the $400–$600 range.
The pivot is a significant admission. Spatial computing — Apple's term for the Vision Pro's blend of AR and VR — didn't resonate with consumers outside a narrow band of enthusiasts. The new direction trades immersion for convenience, betting that most people want an AI assistant on their face, not a cinema in their living room.
