Apple Shifts Strategy: Smart Glasses to Replace Vision Pro in 2027

A Streamlined Roadmap Focused on Glasses Rather Than Headsets

The convergent elements reported by Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman describe the same move: Apple has apparently reduced the number of successors planned for the Vision Pro to focus its resources on two families of connected glasses. The first iteration would not be an augmented reality product with integrated display, but glasses similar in concept to Ray-Ban Meta, featuring camera, audio, calls, video, and artificial intelligence functions.

The Vision Pro is not officially discontinued, however. Mark Gurman mentions a lighter and more affordable version, sometimes referred to as the « Vision Air, » expected to be released around 2028 or 2029. The true augmented reality glasses, based on more complex technologies like optical waveguides, are not anticipated before 2029 according to Kuo.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, this reorientation has been validated by John Ternus, considered the future leader of Apple as of September 1, 2026. To date, this succession has not been officially announced by the company.

Shifting Target Market: From Niche Product to Mainstream

The shift in the focus of Vision strategy revolves around a commercial reality: the Vision Pro, sold at a high price, remains a specialized product that is difficult to democratize. In contrast, smart glasses aim at a much broader market, potentially appealing to iPhone users, prescription glasses wearers, and sunglasses enthusiasts.

Several analyses shared by MacRumors compare Apple's potential trajectory to that of the Apple Watch: entering an existing market with a more technological product and then gradually expanding its uses over successive generations. For investors, this is a significant issue: identifying the next hardware entry point in the Apple ecosystem, following the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.

This repositioning comes as Meta has already established mainstream usage of smart glasses through its collaboration with EssilorLuxottica with the Ray-Ban Meta. Apple would enter this segment later, but could rely on the depth of its software and hardware ecosystem to regain the initiative.

A Timeline Shaped by In-House AI Maturity

The postponement of the first model to the end of 2027, according to information reported by Bloomberg, indicates less of a material constraint than a software issue. Several sources suggest that the delay is linked to the maturity of visual AI functions and the evolution of Siri, which Apple must ensure is reliable before a public launch.

This reliance on AI is part of a broader regulatory context for tech players. The new frameworks being discussed on both sides of the Atlantic, mentioned in parallel initiatives from Brussels and Washington on chips, cloud, and AI, outline an environment where compliance costs and export constraints may influence the industrial decisions of major tech groups.

For investors exposed to the American tech sector, this refocusing provides some markers: a Vision Pro sidelined without disappearing, a head-on battle with Meta over AI glasses expected starting in 2027, a shift towards « complete » augmented reality more likely by 2029, and potential repercussions for certain optical-eyewear stocks listed on Euronext. These are key points to consider for gaining perspective on the announcements that will punctuate Apple's product cycle in the coming quarters.