Apple Pauses Vision Pro, Fast‑Tracks Smart Glasses

Apple has paused work on a cheaper, lighter Vision Pro (codenames N100/Vision Air) and reassigned engineers to accelerate two smart‑glasses projects: an iPhone‑paired, non‑display model (N50) that could be unveiled as soon as next year with a 2027 release window, and a display‑equipped version originally planned for 2028 that Apple is trying to speed up. The shift reflects weak early momentum for the $3,499 Vision Pro — high price, limited mainstream content and sub‑million U.S. sales — and has drawn criticism that the headset was a misstep even as analysts say Apple’s integrated hardware, software, services and AI could still prevail. Apple’s glasses are expected to rely heavily on voice interaction and on‑device and cloud AI (with a reported Siri overhaul due in 2026), come in multiple materials and frames, and initially depend on iPhone tethering. Apple may still ship a modest Vision Pro refresh, possibly with an M5 chip, before the end of 2025 even as priority shifts to glasses. The move is widely seen as a response to Meta’s renewed push — its $799 Ray‑Ban Display and $499 Oakley Vanguard — which has shown market appetite but suffered buggy demos and raised privacy concerns. As smart glasses approach mainstream, experts warn they bring new legal, privacy and compliance risks for workplaces, underscoring the urgency for updated policies and scrutiny around always‑on AI eyewear.