The Apple Vision Pro is the latest shiny Apple product to grab the world’s attention, but despite some phenomenal features and capabilities, it clearly has some notable drawbacks. Now, a reliable tipster has claimed that Apple employees who worked on the headset suspect it won’t reach its “ideal shape” until a fourth-generation model.
That suggestion comes from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who has a strong reputation when it comes to Apple leaks and analysis. In his latest Power On newsletterGurman quotes “people in the Vision Products Group” at Apple as saying they feel like we’ll have to wait another three generations before the Vision Pro really takes off.
Gurman compares this to the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, all of which had to undergo several revisions before they really took off. A similar progression would be understandable for the Vision Pro – after all, Apple has never tried a headset like this before, and the industry as a whole is still finding its way.
What it does mean, however, is that you certainly shouldn’t buy a Vision Pro expecting it to be perfect. There’s clearly still a way to go before it can iron out its quirks, and if Gurman is right about his sources, even Apple seems to recognize that (internally, at least).
Landing on his feet
Gurman’s analysis is consistent with what we noted in our Apple Vision Pro review. It became clear to us that the device was not as refined as it could be. There was some “V1 bugginess” that you’d expect in a first-generation product, while it really seemed like Apple hadn’t really nailed down the weight distribution of its rather heavy headset.
Those are the kinds of drawbacks that will (hopefully) be ironed out in later editions. There’s also the matter of the sky-high price – another thing that should come down over time.
Right now we know that Apple is working on a second-generation Vision Pro, as well as a cheaper version with a few features cut to bring the price down. Those Vision Pro 2 rumors suggest the headset won’t be on an annual upgrade cycle like other Apple products – instead, that second-generation version isn’t expected until late 2025 or early 2026.
This means it may take several years for the mooted fourth-generation model to truly make “spatial computing” (as Apple likes to call it) mainstream. While these models should get us closer to the “ideal form” Gurman talked about, they may not get us all the way there.
With a product as new as the Vision Pro, it seems clear that patience will be important. It’s already far ahead of anything Apple’s rivals can muster. But for most of us it is now a matter of waiting for it to really mature and reach its undoubted potential.