Apple Revives Vision Pro Plans Under Codename N224

Apple is developing a new Vision Pro headset under the codename N224, with different form factors under consideration, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The project replaces the shelved Vision Air (N100) and signals that Apple has not abandoned headsets despite months of cuts and layoffs in the division.

What Changed

Apple slashed its Vision roadmap from seven products to two earlier this year under CEO John Ternus, canceling a second-generation Vision Pro and the lighter, cheaper Vision Air. Then in August, the company laid off at least 60 employees from the Vision Products Group, eliminating an entire VR development team.

The N224 project appears to carry forward some of the Vision Air's goals — a lighter, less bulky headset — but Bloomberg reports it is not necessarily aimed at being a lower-cost offering. That distinction matters: Apple reportedly killed the Vision Air partly because bringing down both weight and price at the same time proved too difficult with current components.

Different Form Factors

The most notable detail is that Apple has "different form factors on the table." That phrasing suggests the company has not committed to a single design direction yet, which places the project in early exploratory stages rather than near-production development.

The existing Vision Pro weighs roughly 650 grams and has been criticized for causing discomfort during extended use. Any successor will need to address that fundamentally — not with a lighter strap or redistributed weight, but with a meaningfully smaller and lighter device.

Timeline

Bloomberg's reporting points to late 2028 or early 2029 for the N224, which aligns with earlier estimates for the canceled Vision Air. In the meantime, Apple's near-term spatial computing bet remains its smart glasses targeting late 2027, which focus on cameras, Siri, and AI rather than immersive displays.

The current Vision Pro, priced at $3,499 and now in its second year without a successor, remains Apple's only headset. Whether N224 eventually ships depends on whether the form factor exploration produces something Ternus believes is worth bringing to market — and his track record suggests he will not ship a compromise.