Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality (MR) headset is delivering results that fall short of expectations, bolstering views that the company's next spatial computing strategy is shifting to smart glasses and AR eyewear.

IT outlet PhoneArena reported on Jan. 4, citing a report that quoted data from the Financial Times and market research firm IDC, that Apple shipped about 390,000 Vision Pro units in 2024 and only 45,000 units in the fourth quarter of 2025. The figures underscore a wide gap with the iPhone, which ships tens of millions of units per quarter, and show that weak Vision Pro sales continued even after a hardware update late last year that included the M5 chip.

The weakness is also being felt in production and marketing. Luxshare, which had been manufacturing Vision Pro under contract, reportedly stopped production from early last year. Apple has cut digital advertising related to Vision Pro by 95 percent over the past year in key markets including the United States and Britain, according to market analytics firm Sensor Tower. As a result, developers are also not seeing a clear incentive to build Vision Pro-exclusive apps, citing a limited user base.

Amid that, Apple is reportedly moving staff assigned to Vision Pro to develop next-generation smart glasses. In tandem, Apple is being discussed as possibly unveiling smart glasses without a display as early as late this year or early next year.

The product is expected to use built-in cameras to recognise what a user sees and, using Siri, provide features including sign translation, music playback, phone calls and navigation, while also supporting photo and video capture, the report said. Instead of a display, it would use the iPhone screen, with light weight and all-day battery life cited as advantages.

Over the longer term, AR glasses with an actual display are seen as Apple's ultimate goal. Bloomberg's Apple reporter Mark Gurman forecast that Apple's AR glasses would need at least 3 more years. The product could be based on a powerful M-series chip and overlay digital images on the real world. Analysts also continue to argue that, given Apple's past record of shaking up markets with a more refined product after rivals launched first, AR glasses are being prepared as a long-term candidate for the 'next iPhone'.