Apple is reportedly testing four concepts for a lighter Vision Pro successor, including designs that move more hardware off the wearer’s head.
9to5Mac reports, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, that the project is known internally as N224 and could arrive between late 2028 and early 2029. It remains early enough that Apple has not settled on the product’s form.
The device may replace the current M5-based Vision Pro rather than revive the abandoned “Vision Air” concept as a deliberately lower-cost model. A lower price is still possible, but the reported priority is a flagship successor that is easier to wear.
Apple is testing both a puck and an all-in-one headset
One concept resembles Meta’s recently unveiled VR glasses by putting computing components and the battery in an external puck. The current Vision Pro already uses a separate battery, so shifting processing out of the headset could reduce heat and weight further.
Some Apple executives reportedly prefer an all-in-one design closer to the existing headset. The company is also experimenting with plastic, titanium, other metals and combinations of materials while retaining the rounded shape of the current model in at least one prototype.
Those choices involve tradeoffs. An external processor can make the headset lighter but adds another object and cable, while an all-in-one design keeps the system self-contained at the cost of putting more weight and heat on the user.
A 2028 target leaves room for major changes
Apple’s headset roadmap has shifted repeatedly since the original Vision Pro launched. The earlier N100 effort, widely described as a lighter and cheaper Vision product, was reportedly shelved in 2025.
The new project’s distant window means none of the concepts should be treated as a final industrial design or confirmed product. Apple could combine elements, choose a different direction or cancel the work before launch.
