Apple's new strategy

After the failure of Vision Pro, Apple chose the same direction as Meta when developing traditional smart glasses, hoping to reach more users.

Apple Vision Pro. Photo: Bloomberg .

In Bloomberg 's Power On report, analyst Mark Gurman said Apple is no longer prioritizing the development of a thinner, lighter version of its Vision Pro glasses. Instead, the company is devoting resources to its AI-powered smart glasses project.

According to Gurman, Apple aims to launch smart glasses with a Meta-like design by 2027. By 2028, the company could introduce a version with an integrated screen.

After the failure of Vision Pro, experts say this is a reasonable approach from Apple, especially when smart glasses gradually become popular in 2025. However, the company still faces many risks surrounding the market and long-term vision.

Accept "humble"

According to Wired , the Vision Pro was considered a sales failure. At $3,500 , the device was too expensive, bulky, felt isolating, and didn't have many applications.

Previously, Apple has made many moves to increase investment in Vision Pro, such as developing a thinner, lighter, cheaper version. However, the latest rumors show that the strategy has changed, Apple seems to be shifting to simpler smart glasses.

If Apple enters the market, it will fall significantly behind its rivals, an unusual move for a company known for its patience, analysts say.

“It seems like Apple is reeling. For the first time in years, they feel like they’re behind the market,” said technology analyst Michael Gartenberg, who served as Apple’s chief marketing officer.

A sample of Meta's smart glasses. Photo: Bloomberg .

According to Gartenberg, Apple itself understands that it cannot stay out of this because this is a potential threat to the iPhone. Having a wearable device in front of your eyes with the ability to make calls, take photos, record videos , and interact with AI can make users less likely to take their phones out of their pockets.

“Apple doesn't want the future of the iPhone to be just a phone sitting in your pocket,” Gartenberg stressed.

Sharing the same view, analyst Anshel Sag from Moor Insights & Strategy said that despite being interested and having many projects to develop smart glasses, Apple has not yet had time to adapt to market changes.

“I think their strategy is not to put smart glasses as a platform like Meta.

Apple wants to target enterprise customers, requiring devices with higher screen resolution and quality. That cannot be applied to smart glasses, at least in the near future,” Sag shared.

There is still a chance

Apple has paid a heavy price for getting things wrong. Estimates suggest the company has spent as much as $33 billion on the project, while fewer than a million Vision Pros have been sold to date.

Even if it becomes more popular, Vision Pro can only bring in 10% of the investment. Of course, the remaining products will "bear" some of the costs, but this is not the result Apple expected.

CEO Tim Cook predicted this back in 2016. In an interview about the development of augmented reality (AR) and related devices, he said that most users would not accept “being wrapped in something… because we are fundamentally social people.”

In fact, users today prefer to wear products that look like regular glasses, integrating technology to serve real needs. It is not watching movies on the ceiling, working through virtual screens on airplanes like Vision Pro's vision.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Meta's new glasses in September. Photo: Bloomberg .

According to Wired , Apple's entry into the smart glasses market in 2027 may be quite late. Having had success with some devices, although slower than competitors, Apple needs to ensure it carefully studies users' desires to avoid repeating mistakes like Vision Pro.

Apple hasn’t completely given up on Vision Pro either. Rumors suggest the company could return to the device after it completes its smart glasses project.

While Gartenberg says the chances of Apple lowering the price of Vision Pro to reach more people are low, Sag says there are still positives.

Specifically, he points to the boom in console gaming. Rather than slowing down the PC market, the popularity and persistence of consoles actually boosted PC sales, as more people wanted to play games and upgrade their machines over time.

Sag predicts a similar trend could play out with smart glasses. People might start with basic framed glasses and then move up to bulkier, more feature-rich versions.

“Cheap, simple devices will reach the largest audience, but there will be many people who want to upgrade this experience,” Sag stressed.

Source: https://znews.vn/chien-luoc-moi-cua-apple-post1592370.html