Apple Vision Pro models coming: one is lighter, affordable, other is tethered with zero latency

Apple is reportedly moving fast into a lighter and more affordable Vision Pro headset, with another that will be tethered to a Mac with zero latency for the enterprise.

2

In his new PowerOn newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman writes that Apple had previously been working on a "more basic refresh" of the Vision Pro -- that would move from the M2 processor in the current-gen Vision Pro, to the new M5 chip without any major hardware changes -- but now, that's not happening.

Gurman writes that Apple's higher-end Vision Pro will be for high-end enterprise applications, with the idea from Apple is to reportedly create an ultra-low-latency system for streaming the display from a Mac. Some users have been using the Apple Vision Pro for things like viewing imagery during surgery, or for things like flight simulators, which are use cases where you want the least amount of lag as possible, and that's not possible with a wireless display.

As for the cheaper Vision Pro, Gurman writes that Apple plans to release a new Vision Pro headset that is both lighter and cheaper, compared to the nearly 1.5 pounds that can strain users' necks and head. Many people that wear a Vision Pro for longer periods of time usually require third-party straps to help with the discomfort, something that Apple wants to avoid with a new Vision Pro.

• Read more: Apple still cautiously working on standalone AR glasses after Vision Pro flops
• Read more: Apple's new M5 chip enters mass production: for iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Vision Pro successor

We should expect to know more about Apple's new Vision Pro headsets in the months ahead, but using the new M5 processor and a higher-end tethered version for enterprise is a far cry from the consumer-focused plans from Apple previously.