Apple halts Vision Pro overhaul to focus on AI glasses, Bloomberg News reports

(Reuters) -Apple has halted a planned overhaul of its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset to shift resources to smart glasses that would rival products from Meta Platforms, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The iPhone maker had been preparing a cheaper, lighter variant of its headset, code-named N100, for release in 2027, Bloomberg said. But the company told staff internally last week that it is reallocating employees from that project to accelerate work on glasses. The $3,499 Vision Pro, launched in February 2024 to heavy fanfare, has struggled to sustain momentum amid a thin slate of mainstream content and competition from cheaper devices such as Meta's Quest. Apple is working on at least two types of smart glasses, the report said. The first, dubbed N50, will pair with an iPhone and lack its own display. Apple aims to unveil the model as soon as next year, ahead of a release in 2027. The second version, with a display, is planned for 2028, but Apple is now seeking to accelerate development of the product that could challenge the Meta Ray-Ban Display, the report said. In September, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed off the company's first consumer-ready $800 smart glasses with a built-in display and a new wristband controller at Meta's Connect event. Meta also unveiled a new pair of Oakley-branded glasses called Vanguard aimed at athletes. Apple's glasses will rely heavily on voice interaction and artificial intelligence, the report said. The company declined to comment on the report when contacted by Reuters. At its annual product launch event last month, Apple introduced an upgraded line of iPhones, alongside a slimmer iPhone Air. The event, however, was light on evidence of how Apple — a laggard in the AI race — aims to close the gap with the likes of Google, which showcased the capabilities of its Gemini AI model in its latest flagship phones. (Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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