Apple has stopped work on the new Vision Pro to make AI glasses like Meta's

Apple has scrapped plans to release a lightweight version of its Vision Pro video headset to focus on developing smart glasses to compete with Meta Ray-Ban, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. Apple's glasses with artificial intelligence will not be available until 2027, while Meta is already selling the second generation of such devices.

According to Bloomberg's sources, Apple stopped work on the Vision Pro update to redirect resources to a more urgent task: releasing smart glasses that could compete with Meta Platforms' products. Apple had planned to release a lighter, more affordable version of the video headset - codenamed N100 - in 2027. However, last week, company executives announced they were shifting employees from that project to accelerate development of the glasses, the agency's sources claim.

Apple is working on at least two types of smart glasses: a display-less model that the company could unveil next year and launch in 2027, and a planned 2028 model with a display that Apple wants to accelerate development of, according to the article. The display version is meant to compete with the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which have a screen built into the right lens. Like the Meta smartglasses created in partnership with Ray-Ban and Oakley, Apple's devices will feature speakers, cameras, be offered in several designs and, according to Bloomberg, "rely heavily on voice control and artificial intelligence."

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment to the agency.

The $3499 Vision Pro headset, which Apple unveiled in February 2024, has not been very popular due to a lack of content and competition from Meta's Quest and other cheaper devices, Reuters notes. Even loyal supporters of Apple products complain that the Vision Pro is overpriced, too bulky and inconvenient to use.

At the same time, Apple, which investors reproach for the slow implementation of artificial intelligence technologies, risks being late in entering the smart glasses market, The Verge writes. Meta recently introduced the second generation of Meta Ray-Ban glasses with double the runtime, an athlete-oriented model under the Oakley brand, and Meta Ray-Ban Display, which The Verge columnist Victoria Song called the best smart glasses she has ever tested.

Shares of Apple for the first nine months of 2025 rose by only 1.7%, significantly behind the dynamics of the broad market - the S & P 500 index added almost 14% over the same period. At the same time, quotes of Meta jumped by 25.4%.

Analysts on Wall Street have differing degrees of optimism on Apple and Meta stock, but both companies remain among the favorites. The FactSet consensus rating for Apple is "Overweight," although the average target price of $249 is already below the market, which could indicate a risk of overheating. For Meta, the experts' tone is more confident, with a Buy rating combined with a consensus target of $869.35 per share, 21% above the current stock price.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor