Apple is reportedly delaying the launch of its cheaper Vision Pro till at least 2027, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple’s Vision Pro has struggled to gain traction, thanks largely to its steep price tag and lack of everyday use cases for the device. The company has reportedly been working on a cheaper version of the headset in an effort to broaden its appeal.

Kuo is now reporting that the new version will not be available till at least 2027.

As I understand it, production of the cheaper Vision Pro has been delayed beyond 2027 for a while now. This means Apple’s only new head-mounted display device in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an upgraded M5 processor.

I think what really drove Apple to delay the cheaper Vision Pro is that simply reducing the price wouldn’t help create successful use cases. It’s similar to the HomePod situation—even after launching the cheaper HomePod mini, Apple’s smart speakers failed to become mainstream products.

Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) | November 3, 2024

Apple’s woes with the Vision Pro underscore the issues companies are facing trying to advance augmented reality (AR). Apple touted the Vision Pro as the next big thing in computing, but customer demand for AR devices has been disappointing.

Apple is not alone with its issues, with Microsoft killing the HoloLens 2 due to the challenges involved in making the device a success. Early adopters, including the US Army, had issues with debilitating physical side effects after just a few hours of usage. While Microsoft improved the device for the military, but decided to abandon its consumer line of devices.

Only time will tell if Apple manages to do what no other company has and make AR a widespread success. If it fails, the Vision Pro could join the ranks of the Power Mac G4 Cube, a revolutionary device that never resonated with consumers.