Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus has nixed plans for a second Vision Pro and a lighter Vision Air, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Ternus, who is set to take over as Apple’s CEO on September 1, 2026, has instead decided to focus on smart glasses development.
Kuo claims there are only two smart glasses development projects, which are the AI smart glasses intended to rival Meta’s Ray-Bans and a display-equipped set of AR smart glasses.
1. The Apple XR headset and smart glasses roadmap I put together about a year ago is no longer a useful reference. For now, only two smart glasses products remain visible in the roadmap.
2. The major overhaul was signed off by Apple's next CEO, John Ternus. This shift actually… https://t.co/nuqahpVnVQ
— 郭明錤｜Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) June 3, 2026
“I think removing the Vision Pro line was the right call, as Apple shifts resources toward smart glasses with greater mass-market potential,” writes Kuo.
Kuo notes that the Apple XR headset and smart glasses roadmap he put together about a year ago is no longer a useful reference, due to the changes in thinking inside Apple. While Kuo’s product timeline originally featured seven products, it now features only two.
Kuo believes the AI smart glasses will ship first, in 2027, while the display-equipped augmented reality glasses won’t hit shelves until 2029 at the earliest.
“My latest supply chain checks suggest Apple’s display-equipped AR/XR smart glasses device, powered by optical waveguides, has slipped to 2029,” say Kuo. “The display-less AI glasses, similar to Ray-Ban Meta, are still expected to ship in 2027.”
Optical waveguides pair a micro-display with waveguides that guide the image to the user’s eyes. Lenses remain transparent, so the virtual content looks like it’s overlaid on the real world view.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman remarked on Kuo’s report, saying the Vision Air was discontinued in October 2025, while plans for the display glasses meant to pair with a Mac were abandoned in January 2025. Gurman agrees that the AI smart glasses will launch at the end of 2027. He also says while Apple is testing the Vision Pro 2, the category is “on ice.”
– Vision Air was killed in Oct 2025 https://t.co/PQ6TYGXABU
– The Display Glasses were killed in Jan 2025 https://t.co/gPNnuYDO3w
– AI glasses coming end of ‘27 (delayed from early ‘27) and AR end of 2020s https://t.co/JgFcTMkVzJ
– Vision Pro 2 in testing but category on ice. https://t.co/EXnkFTznIR
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) June 3, 2026
Earlier this week, Gurman said Apple is working on a cheaper, lighter Vision Pro, but doesn’t expect the device to launch until late 2028 or 2029.
