I still want an Apple Vision Air but I would understand that it is a low priority

A report from a year ago said that we could expect an Apple Vision Air product in the second half of 2027. This was expected to address the two issues that have led Vision Pro to be such a niche product.

This week brought two reports suggesting we may have to wait much longer for a Vision Air, if we ever see one…

It’s been almost exactly a year since analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a report on Apple’s roadmap for Vision products. He told us what we could expect in terms of timing for both the future Vision headphones and the long-awaited Apple glasses.

He said at the time that we should expect to see a Vision Air product in the third quarter of 2027, and that the first-generation Apple Glasses launched the same year.

Vision Air delayed or canceled

However, two reports from last week said otherwise. While both claim that we can expect to see Apple Glasses next year as previously suggested, the wait for a Vision Air product is likely to be significantly longer.

Bloomberg at one point suggested that Apple had dropped a Vision Air product in total. Gurman changed his mind on Sunday, stating that the cheaper, thinner and lighter version of the Vision Pro was still in the works but would not debut next year.

Apple has also been working on a thinner, lighter headset to replace the $3,499 Vision Pro, but I don’t anticipate it launching before late 2028 or 2029.

Kuo also has changed his mindsaying that there is no sign in Vision Air’s supply chain, as the company focuses exclusively on the glasses form factor for Vision products.

The Apple XR headphones and smart glasses roadmap I put together about a year ago is no longer a useful reference. For now, only two smart glasses products remain visible on the roadmap. The major overhaul was approved by Apple’s next CEO, John Ternus (…) as Apple shifts resources toward smart glasses with greater mass-market potential.

I really want a Vision Air

When I first tried Vision Pro headphones, I was phenomenally impressed by the experience.

The graphics look amazing and it’s incredibly easy to use! Once I experienced the mix of real and virtual worlds, I felt completely sold! Partly because of the convenience of things like being able to see a keyboard and trackpad, and partly simply because of the greatly reduced feeling of being isolated from the world around me.

However, I was much less impressed with the weight and comfort.

I would say that convenience is one of the biggest challenges with this technology right now. It was a relatively warm afternoon by UK standards and I was definitely feeling the heat with the top of my face enclosed by the unit. This mirrors my experience with Meta Quest 2, which also feels warm. The weight of the Vision Pro is also something I felt after the first 30 minutes.

I wore it for a little over an hour and definitely came to the conclusion that it was the limit.

I also couldn’t justify the price of the Vision Pro, so what I really wanted was something that was lighter, more comfortable, and at a more affordable price. It looked like I was going to get my three wishes in the form of an upcoming Vision Air sometime in 2027, but now it looks like not.

It’s disappointing but understandable.

Personally, I would be disappointed to see a significant delay and would be truly gutted if Vision Air were canceled entirely.

At the same time, from Apple’s perspective, I think the decision would be completely understandable. The reason I want a Vision Air is that I use a 49-inch ultra-widescreen monitor on my desk and would love to have a virtual version of that experience when I travel. But I fully recognize that even at a lower price, this is still a niche product.

Apple glasses, on the other hand, will have a much better chance of becoming a mass-market product. Anyone in the Apple ecosystem who currently wears glasses is very likely to consider switching to them, and there may be others who see enough potential applications to wear glasses at least part of the time.

So yes, if I were Ternus, I would definitely be prioritizing Apple glasses over Vision Air, and if the cost of ensuring enough resources are allocated to the former would force me to delay the latter, then I would do so without hesitation. But please, Apple, don’t give up on the project!