Apple tries again with upgraded Apple Vision Pro

Apple introduced an updated version of its Apple Vision Pro face computer, which has so far received a lackluster market response. The upgraded Apple Vision Pro features a new M5 chip that “delivers a leap forward in performance, improved display rendering, faster AI-powered workflows, and extended battery life.” It also comes with the soft, cushioned Dual Knit Band to help users achieve an even more comfortable fit, and visionOS 26. The device is still expensive: Apple Vision Pro with the M5 chip and Dual Knit Band starts at $3,499 (U.S.), and is available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities.

“With the breakthrough performance of M5, the latest Apple Vision Pro delivers faster performance, sharper details throughout the system, and even more battery life, setting a new standard for what’s possible in spatial computing,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Paired with the comfortable Dual Knit Band, innovative features in visionOS 26, and all-new Apple Immersive experiences spanning adventure, documentary, music, and sports, spatial computing is even more capable, entertaining, and magical with the new Vision Pro.”

With M5, Apple Vision Pro renders 10 percent more pixels on the custom micro-OLED displays compared to the previous generation, resulting in a sharper image with crisper text and more detailed visuals. Vision Pro can also increase the refresh rate up to 120Hz for reduced motion blur when users look at their physical surroundings, and an even smoother experience when using Mac Virtual Display.

Apple today announced M5 chip, built using third-generation 3-nanometer technology, M5 introduces a 10-core GPU architecture with a Neural Accelerator in each core, enabling GPU-based AI workloads to run dramatically faster, with over 4x the peak GPU compute performance compared to M4. The GPU also offers enhanced graphics capabilities and third-generation ray tracing that combined deliver a graphics performance that is up to 45 percent higher than M4.¹ M5 features the world’s fastest performance core, with up to a 10-core CPU made up of six efficiency cores and up to four performance cores. Together, they deliver up to 15 percent faster multithreaded performance over M4, the company claims. M5 also features an improved 16-core Neural Engine, a powerful media engine, and a nearly 30 percent increase in unified memory bandwidth to 153GB/s.

Apple also introduced the new iPad Pro featuring theM5 chip, 11-inch and 13-inch versions, available in silver and space black finishes in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi model, and $1,199 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,299 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi model, and $1,499 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

Apple also unveiled a new 14-inch MacBook Pro, featuring the M5 chip. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 starts at $1,599 (U.S.) and $1,499 (U.S.) with education savings, and is available in space black and silver.