Apple’s Vision Pro team is in high gear, working feverishly on a response to Meta’s sleek Orion smart glasses. Meta Connect 2024 saw the company demo a prototype that pushes the boundaries of what augmented reality (AR) can look like—closer to a pair of Ray-Bans than a bulky VR headset. Meanwhile, Apple’s Vision Pro, a mixed-reality marvel priced at $3,500, has been praised for its ambition but criticised for its weight and exclusivity. With the competition heating up, Apple is pushing hard to introduce more practical, consumer-friendly products across wearables and home tech.
A Slimmer, Cheaper Vision Headset for 2024
Next year, Apple aims to release a lower-cost version of the Vision Pro, targeting a more mass-market audience with a $2,000 price point. This budget iteration will cut back on features to achieve affordability—most notably EyeSight, the function that awkwardly displays the user’s eyes on the front of the headset, which many see as unnecessary. The new device will also rely on less powerful chips than the M2 and R2 processors driving the Vision Pro, but Apple expects this model to sell twice as many units. This shift suggests that Apple is adjusting its strategy, focusing less on futuristic tech demos and more on creating a product people actually want to buy.
By 2026, a second-generation Vision Pro will hit the market, boasting incremental upgrades, including a faster processor. However, Apple’s real move could arrive in 2027, when it plans to launch smart glasses designed to compete directly with Meta’s Ray-Ban lineup. These glasses are expected to be light, stylish, and far more practical than the Vision Pro—Apple’s attempt to crack the augmented reality space with a device suited for everyday use.
A Future Built on AI and Visual Intelligence
Apple’s wearable ambitions don’t stop with headsets and glasses. An intriguing project in the works involves AirPods equipped with cameras—a bold fusion of audio and visual intelligence. These next-gen AirPods would leverage the environment-scanning technology developed for the Vision Pro, feeding into Apple’s broader AI ecosystem. As part of this push, iOS 18.1 will soon introduce Apple Intelligence, a new suite of features that promises to challenge Google Lens by making the iPhone a more capable visual assistant.
Apple Intelligence is set to play a crucial role in the company’s future devices. The system will debut in phases, gradually rolling out across Apple’s product lineup, with the full feature set expected to arrive by March 2024. However, the staggered release reflects Apple’s struggle to keep up with the rapid rise of generative AI. While Apple announced its AI initiatives at WWDC earlier this year, it has yet to fully integrate them into its latest products, leaving the company looking reactive rather than visionary.
Meta’s Orion: The Challenge That Can’t Be Ignored
The biggest threat to Apple’s wearable dominance is Meta’s Orion prototype. Unlike the Vision Pro, which is a full-fledged mixed-reality system, Orion offers a slimmer, lighter design—more in line with what consumers want to wear daily. Although Meta has not yet committed to releasing Orion commercially, the demo at Meta Connect signalled that the social media giant is capable of developing highly advanced AR hardware. For Apple, Orion represents a looming challenge: a practical alternative to the Vision Pro that could become a runaway hit if Meta decides to bring it to market.
This is not a challenge Apple can afford to ignore, especially given the mixed success of its recent ventures. The company’s self-driving car project, which had been in development for nearly a decade, was quietly shelved earlier this year. Vision Pro sales have been underwhelming so far, and the iPhone 16 models, though receiving positive reviews, have not shattered sales records.
A New Push into the Smart Home
In response to these challenges, Apple is doubling down on its smart home strategy. Historically, the company has struggled to gain a foothold in this space. Its original HomePod speaker, launched in 2018, was lauded for sound quality but failed to capture market share, largely due to Siri’s limitations and a steep price tag. However, the success of the more affordable HomePod Mini has given Apple a second wind. Now, the company is revamping its HomeOS software and developing a suite of new products to compete more aggressively in the smart home space.
Among the most exciting developments is a high-end robotic tabletop device, equipped with AI-powered sensors that can monitor the environment, detect who is speaking, and even track users’ movements across a room. This $1,000 device will offer advanced video conferencing, home security features, and immersive media playback, all mounted on a rotating robotic arm. It represents the first product designed from the ground up with Apple Intelligence, signalling a deeper integration of AI across Apple’s ecosystem.
The Home Ecosystem team, which now includes engineers from the scrapped Apple Car project, is also working on a smart display. This device will essentially function as an affordable iPad for the home, providing access to Apple TV+ streaming, FaceTime calls, and productivity apps like Calendar and Notes. With the revamped HomeOS at its core, the display aims to deliver a seamless user experience, further blurring the lines between mobile and home tech.
Building Bridges with Matter and AI
Apple is also learning from its past mistakes, embracing a more open approach to smart home technology. Historically, the company’s closed ecosystem has limited its success in the home market, where interoperability is key. To address this, Apple has co-developed Matter, a new smart home protocol in partnership with Google and Amazon. This shift signals a strategic pivot—Apple is now willing to collaborate with competitors to ensure its products can work seamlessly with a wider range of devices.
The introduction of Apple Intelligence promises to elevate this strategy further. Described as “home automation on steroids,” the AI-powered system will allow users to control not just Apple products but also third-party devices and applications. Siri, too, is getting a significant upgrade with a new Intents system, enabling more advanced interactions across apps and devices.
A Critical Moment for Apple
Apple’s renewed focus on wearables and smart home tech reflects the company’s need to regain momentum after several missteps. The Vision Pro may have been a technological triumph, but its commercial appeal remains limited. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 rollout has been marred by lack of AI features at launch, adding to the perception that Apple is falling behind in key areas.
With competition from Meta heating up, Apple’s next steps will be critical. Can the company deliver a practical, affordable Vision headset that captures the public’s imagination? Will it succeed in transforming the smart home experience with AI-powered devices? Or will it continue to play catch-up in an increasingly competitive market?
For now, one thing is clear: Apple’s future hinges on its ability to innovate across multiple fronts. With new products and platforms on the horizon, the race is far from over—and Apple is determined to come out on top.
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