Apple pauses Vision Pro overhaul to chase Meta's smart glasses

Apple is officially slamming the brakes on its bulky headset dreams to chase Meta into the real world.

According to Bloomberg, Apple notified staff last week that it is halting work on a cheaper, lighter Vision Pro headset—code-named N100 and previously slated for 2027. Instead, the company is reassigning engineers to fast-track lightweight AI smart glasses.

From bulky ski goggles to actual glasses

Apple is currently developing at least two distinct styles of smart glasses.

The first, code-named N50, skips a display entirely and pairs directly with an iPhone. Think of it as AirPods built into a stylish frame, packed with speakers, cameras, health sensors, and a custom Apple silicon chip. Apple aims to unveil this model as early as next year ahead of an expected 2027 release.

The second model includes a built-in display, directly targeting Meta's newly revealed Ray-Ban Display glasses. Originally penciled in for 2028, Apple is now scrambling to pull that timeline forward.

As for the original $3,499 Vision Pro, Apple executives privately acknowledge it was overengineered, too heavy, and starved for killer apps. While a minor spec bump with a faster chip is reportedly imminent after surfacing in FCC filings, the broader Vision line is clearly being demoted to enterprise duties.

Playing catch-up in a crowded field

Meta has quietly turned smart glasses into tech's hottest emerging category. After scoring a breakout hit with its 2023 Ray-Ban Meta glasses, Meta just refreshed the lineup with better battery life, an athletic Oakley edition, and a heads-up monocular display.

Apple's biggest hurdle will not be miniaturizing the hardware—something it mastered with the Apple Watch and AirPods—but powering it. Screenless glasses rely almost entirely on multimodal AI and voice control, two fronts where Apple has noticeably lagged behind.

Apple is banking on an overhauled Siri, expected as soon as March, to finally anchor its next-generation hardware. Meanwhile, Google, Samsung, and even OpenAI with former Apple design chief Jony Ive are all racing to ship their own AI-first gadgets.

Why it matters

We think pivoting away from another niche VR headset is Apple's smartest hardware decision in years.

For users, nobody wants to wear a computer on their face for hours, but millions already wear sunglasses. A lightweight pair of Apple glasses that natively handles phone calls, snaps photos, serves up turn-by-turn navigation, and syncs seamlessly with iMessage would be an instant upgrade over existing iOS accessories.

The real problem is Apple's sluggish timeline. Launching a screenless model in 2027 leaves Meta with another two years to dominate retail shelves, lock in fashion partnerships, and train consumers on multimodal smart glasses. Mark Zuckerberg has been vocal about wanting to break free from Apple's app store grip, and glasses are his best shot yet. Apple has a famous track record of arriving late and cleaning up, but this time, its delayed AI software might make that playbook much harder to pull off.