The Apple Vision Pro might need four whole generations to reach its potential, Apple believes

The Apple Vision Pro is finally on sale after months and months of waiting. It was officially unveiled in June during the 2023 WWDC event but it only went on sale this past February 2. That means that people have now been using the device for a little over a week and while the future of spatial computing looks bright, there are still some misgivings that Apple will want to address with a future model.

Those misgivings include not only the high starting price of $3,499 but also the fact that the headset is considered too heavy by some. Other notable complaints include the poor EyeSight feature as well as short battery life and a passthrough feature that while good, could be better. Now, Apple has given us our first real confirmation that the current Vision Pro isn't the end of the line and that there are still improvements to come. In fact, it's said that we might have to wait for another three generations of headsets before Apple is able to say that it's where it wants it to be.

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That's according to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in the weekly Power On newsletter. Gurman says that some of those working in the Vision Products Group - those responsible for the Apple Vision Pro and upcoming models - believe that it could take as many as four generations before it reaches what he calls its ideal form. What that form will look like isn't yet clear, but we can take some educated guesses.

The Apple Vision Pro is similar to other AR/VR headsets in that it resembles a pair of ski goggles. It's big and heavy, but it's likely that Apple would rather the device be more akin to the Google Glass product that was around years ago before being canceled. That product allows for a pair of normal-looking spectacles with an AR component overlaid via a small display. Such a form factor isn't currently possible if Apple wants to offer spatial computing similar to that of the Apple Vision Pro, but that will no doubt change in the coming years.

How long that will take is unknown, however. Another three generations could take just three years, but that's assuming a new generation arrives every year. More likely, we can expect to wait another six years or so before Apple gets the headset to where it wants it to be. And by that point, we can hope that it won't actually be a headset at all.