Apple is working on an affordable Vision Pro headset, but its release has reportedly been delayed until 2027.

If you’ve been waiting for an “affordable” Vision Pro headset, the wait is going to be long. Apple is rumored to be working on a less expensive version of the Vision Pro headset. The latest report from popular and trusted Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kup suggests that the rumors may be true, however, it also suggests that the release of the supposed affordable Vision Pro may have been delayed until 2027. “My understanding is that production of the cheaper Vision Pro has been delayed for some time beyond 2027,” Kuo writes in a post on X.

The analyst claims that while Apple will release a new Vision Pro headset next year, it will not be the long-awaited cheaper version of the headset, but a new variant with the new M5 chip. “This means Apple’s only new head-mounted display in 2025 will be the Vision Pro with an updated M5 processor,” he says.

Kuo also explained what may have caused the delay. He says Apple could face a HomePod-like situation with the Vision Pro. He argues that Apple may have realized that simply lowering the price of the Vision Pro headset may not be enough to convince them to buy the product. This is similar to what happened with HomePod—even with the more affordable HomePod mini, Apple’s smart speakers aren’t very popular.

“I think the real reason Apple delayed the lower-priced Vision Pro is that simply lowering the price won’t create successful use cases. This is similar to the situation with HomePod – even after the launch of the cheaper HomePod mini, Apple’s smart speakers failed to become a mainstream product,” Kuo writes.

Essentially, the analyst is hinting that the rumored cheaper Vision Pro may have some technology that will help it stand out from the standard Vision Pro headset.

Rumors of a more affordable Vision Pro headset have been circulating in the tech industry for about a year now. Vision Pro created a lot of excitement with its world’s first spatial operating system (VisionOS), which allows users to interact with digital content in physical space using their eyes, hands and voice. It never made it to the Indian market, but in the US the device created a real sensation. However, there was one small glitch that prevented this device from becoming as popular as one might have hoped. This is the price. The Vision Pro headset was launched in the US at $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2.89 lakh). Rumor has it that the affordable version could cost about $1,000 less.