Apple Vision Air Launch Timeline Leaked; Could Be Thinner and Lighter Than the Apple Vision Pro

Apple Vision Air will likely arrive in markets soon. A recent report suggested the expected launch timeline of the purported mixed reality headset. It is tipped to be a thinner and lighter counterpart of the existing Apple Vision Pro headset. The rumoured Air-branded AR/VR wearable is expected to be a cheaper alternative to the existing version. The Cupertino-based tech giant initially announced the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2023, which went on sale in select global regions last year.

Apple Vision Air Launch Timeline (Expected)

The Apple Vision Air is expected to launch anytime between "the end of this year and the first half of 2026," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Despite the existing Apple Vision Pro not performing well, the company is not "abandoning ship" yet, he added. The Air version is claimed to be lighter and cheaper.

However, whether the lighter Apple Vision Air will act as a replacement for the current Vision Pro option, or just its cheaper alternative, is still uncertain, Gurman said.

Gurman added that Apple will likely introduce a Mac-tethered variant of the Apple Vision Pro, which will be "aimed at applications that need maximum responsiveness," but he did not mention an expected launch timeline for this. Previously, he reported that the rumoured Apple Vision Pro 2 will support low-latency connectivity and advanced enterprise applications.

Earlier reports suggest that the Apple Vision Air will have an aluminium outer body, and its internal components are tipped to be made out of titanium. The use of these materials is expected to reduce the weight of the purported headset considerably, as per the report. 

Without the external battery pack, the existing Apple Vision Pro weighs up to 650g. The purported headset may arrive with a thinner build and a Graphite/ Dark Blue colourway. Notably, the current mixed reality wearable is priced at $3,500 (roughly Rs. 3 lakh).